Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Colorado-based Fentress Architects joins forces with Arquitectonica and landscape architects West 8 to transform, renovate and expand the Miami Beach Convention Center in the most impressive way.
Over twelve acres of green space have been integrated with the $620 million transformation of the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC).
Located just two blocks from the ocean in South Beach, compliance with strict FEMA guidelines aimed to safeguard against future hurricanes and flooding, and ambitious green building strategies significantly contribute to the MBCC’s extraordinary resiliency and status as one of the most technologically-advanced buildings in the U.S.
Construction of this transformation, which impacted all 1.435 million square feet of the facility, was completed in less than three years.
This project has been awarded a 2021 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
During that time, MBCC remained operational and hosted over 40 shows and included a record 83,000 attendees to Art Basel.
The façade’s fluid rhythm highlights key features of the local environment and places an emphasis on rolling ocean waves.
Over 500 unique aluminum fins are affixed to the exterior curtain-wall.
In traditional architecture, each fin would have been detailed by hand and laboriously redrawn with each modification.
The utilization of state-of-the-art parametric software, however, seamlessly interfaced with design and documentation models employed such as Rhino, Grasshopper, Revit, and Inventor to provide accurate, real time updates.
In addition to saving hundreds of man-hours and ensuring exceptional accuracy, the parametric software facilitated the fabrication process, as coordinates were directly imported into the manufacturer’s modeling software.
Swooping curves, glistening white columns, and subdued lighting throughout the facility draw inspiration from Miami’s famed Art Deco District.
Interior finishes that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns paired with the replacement of nearly all mechanical and electrical systems with high-efficiency products revitalized the MBCC, which was built in 1957 and last updated in 1989.
In total, 263,000 square feet of interior space was added, including a 60,000-square-foot grand ballroom—big enough to double as a cavernous dance club complete with dramatic lighting—and a 20,000-square-foot rooftop ballroom designed to host VIP events.
Over 127,000 square feet of additional meeting space was added to the facility.
Six acres of parking that contribute to LEED’s Asphalt Heat Island points were repurposed into a public park.
Comparable parking is now available on the building’s roof, which can accommodate future solar capacity.
Landscape and infrastructure improvements include the preservation of over 100 trees and the addition of 1,300 more in a variety of locations, including a tropical garden, game lawn, and veterans’ plaza. Improved daylighting and the deployment of light sensors reduced energy consumption by more than 20 percent.
Additional green building strategies included installation of reduced-flow water fixtures, utilization of recycled building materials and finishes, and the recycling of an astounding 96 percent of construction waste.
The expanded and renovated Miami Beach Convention Center has quickly become a remarkable civic addition to the city and has created a sense of civic pride for its users and constituents alike.
Project: Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion and Renovation
Architects: Fentress Architects
Associate Architects: Arquitectonica
Landscape Architects: West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
Client: City of Miami Beach
Contractor: Clark Construction Group, LLC.
Photographers: Robin Hill, Craig Denis, and Tom Clark
