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    Concrete creates art-oriented space for CitizenM's first Miami hotel

    Dutch hotel group CitizenM has opened a hotel in Downtown Miami in a high-rise building with multiple terraces that was designed to be a “3D art piece”.

    For the 277-foot-tall (84-metre-tall) building in Downtown Miami, Amsterdam-based architecture studio Concrete worked with Gensler as the local architect to carry out the design of the tower.
    Concrete worked with Gensler to create a CitizenM hotel in MiamiThe envelope features large swathes of concrete and glass organised in a series of discreet boxes that break up the massing of the facade.
    Since construction, much of the facade has been dedicated to a massive mural by American artist Jen Stark.
    The hotel was designed to showcase local artists”The architecture is considered as a 3D art piece with large colorful murals by Jenny Stark on every side of the building; by this the building is recognizable among all the other buildings,” said Concrete.

    “By using twisted boxes, you can experience the art from all sides.”
    Vitra supplied most of the hotel’s furnitureInside, a glass-lined entryway is meant to act as an “art gallery” as visitors access the set of elevators that go up to the lobby level on the second floor.
    The lobby space features a number of modular couches, workstations and plenty of light, with exposed concrete beams supporting a ceiling with wood accents.

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    Also on the second floor is the canteen area, which features a black-and-white checkered floor and a wraparound bar with a black marble countertop and wood panelling topped with a hanging bar cage that holds a number of plants.
    The 20-storey building has 252 rooms, as well as a series of meeting rooms on the third floor. The rooms are mostly micro-suites, with some of the smallest clocking in at less than 200 square feet (60 metres).
    The second storey includes workspaces and terracesDespite the small size, most of the rooms have an extra large bed that sits under the window with storage space underneath.
    The bathrooms are tucked across from a compact sink and wrapped in polycarbonate that has been outfitted with LED lights. These can be controlled through a tablet that manages most of the room’s functions, including the blinds, television and room services.
    Throughout the property, most of the furniture was sourced from Swiss furniture company Vitra, with whom the hotel chain has a long-standing relationship.
    The hotel features a series of micro-suitesFor decoration, the hotel held a competition that selected local artists. CitizenM Miami Brickell is also the first location to have a rooftop pool for the brand.
    Since its inception in 2008, the hotel chain has expanded internationally with 27 hotels, and the hotel plans to open two more in Miami.
    Earlier this year, CitizenM announced a project that aimed to make it the first hospitality company to have a hotel in the digital space known as the Metaverse.

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    Snarkitecture uses recycled materials for Pharrell Williams' streetwear brand store in Miami

    New York design studio Snarkitecture has designed a flagship store for the streetwear clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club, created by American musician Pharrell Williams and Japanese graphic designer Nigo.

    Located in a former warehouse on a corner in Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood, the store is a flagship for Billionaire Boys Club (BBC), which was founded in 2003 and includes sub-brands Icecream, Bee Line and Billionaire Girls Club.
    Snarkitecture designed a flagship for Billionaire Boys Club in Miami”I’m very grateful that we have the opportunity to bring our flagship store to Miami,” said Williams. “It’s going to be a place where people can come in to get inspired by the mix of fashion, culture, art and design.”
    The 5,000-square-foot (465 metres) store includes retail space as well as art installations created for the store by Snarkitecture.
    The space used to be a warehouseIn order to light up the warehouse space, the studio added windows to the side of the structure and created a domed entryway, also with panelled windows.

    The exterior of the store is clad in a light plaster material and the walls feature decorative murals.
    Recycled materials were used throughoutInside, the designers used influences from Florida’s Everglades National Park as well as brand imagery from BBC to create an open space for the retail experience.
    “The space is a reimagination of the traditional retail model, taking the form of an art gallery, with the goal to drive social engagement and exploration,” the clothing brand said.
    Cages were designed to hold some of the goodsWooden panels with a beige hue clad the walls of the store, creating a solid base element to contrast the colourful retail elements – such as the white and seafoam green cages that hold the merchandise.
    According to BBC, many of the elements used for the interiors were reused.
    Displays line the walls”The design makes use of environmentally-friendly materials, such as recycled plastics, glass and wood panels,” it said.
    The ceiling is covered with white slats that are top-lit between the exposed HVAC elements.
    An astronaut statue is the centrepiece”The store also features a spacious open-concept layout that was designed to meet BBC’s need for a flexible retail environment,” said the brand.
    “Now, more than ever, we believe that curating brand physical experiences via brick-and-mortar shopping locations and in-store experiences are imperative to connect on a deeper level with our customers,” said BBC chief sales officer Matt Kaden.
    Beige panels line the wallsGlass elements with stainless-steel accents line the walls of the store, creating space for smaller items to be displayed.
    In the centre is a large blue-painted astronaut statue – the symbol of the brand as well as a nod to Florida’s space-faring history.

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    Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood was chosen for the store as it has become the epicentre of the city’s art, fashion and design scenes.
    “The choice of Wynwood, Miami for the new storefront is a conscious move to be in the heart of the art community and within a cultural environment that speaks to the brand’s values and inspirations,” said BBC general manager Loic Villepontoux.
    Glass display cases hold smaller itemsOther stores in the area include a showroom for Mexican stone company Grupo Arca designed by Mexico-based Esrawe Studio in collaboration with art collective Superflex.
    Other projects by Snarkitecture – a studio founded by Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham – include a “self-care” club in Washington DC and a Parisian mansion-turned-streetwear-outlet that includes a Nike Air Max chandelier.
    The photography is by Billionaire Boys Club.

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    Esme Hotel in Miami draws on the “bohemian grandeur” of its past

    Saturated tones, Mediterranean patterns and decadent furnishings are found throughout this renovated boutique hotel in Miami with interiors by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

    Originally built in 1927 as a cultural hub for artists, the building, formerly known as Spanish Village, is located on Miami Beach’s pedestrian plaza, Española Way.
    Esme Hotel is located along Miami Beach’s pedestrian stripEvent planning and design company Infinity Hospitality Group collaborated with Jessica Schuster Design on the transformation of the hotel, which has 145 guest rooms.
    The architecture of Española Way resembles the Mediterranean villages of Spain and France. Schuster looked to the rich local architectural history as a starting point for the interiors.
    Jessica Schuster Design transformed the building into a boutique hotel”We wanted to create an artful collage of bohemian grandeur alongside Miami’s historic Española Way,” said Jessica Schuster, founder of Jessica Schuster Design.”We had fun playing with furniture, lighting and fabrics to create something timeless and exciting at the same time,” Schuster told Dezeen.

    The interior has Art Deco elementsGuests arrive at a lobby with plush velvet flooring and benches clad in a fabric that recalls the patterned ceramic tiles often seen in southern European countries. Plants potted in wicker pots add to the hotel’s bohemian theme.
    “We wanted to create something that spoke to the Mediterranean culture of South Beach, Miami,” said Shuster.
    “This was achieved using vibrant colours, fun textures and details that remained true to the historical aspect of the hotel’s original design.”
    Clashing patterns feature throughout the hotelAfter passing through the lobby, visitors can sip cocktails or sample Latin-inspired dishes at El Salón, a cocktail bar inside the Esme Hotel.
    Here, stools fringed with tassels are stationed around the edge of a circular mahogany bar. The adjoining, dimly lit dining area has a similar decadent arrangement, with candlelit tables spread across the checkered floor.

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    Schuster worked closely with the Historic Preservation Board of Miami to replicate some of the original building’s elements.
    The studio used materials such as the limestone travertine and plaster, which featured heavily in Mediterranean revival design in Miami.
    The rooms are coloured in saturated, rich hues associated with opulence”It was a historical property, so we worked to bring back the integrity of the original designs that are unique to South Beach, being that most buildings are from the Art Deco period,” Shuster explained.
    “We reused a lot of pecky cypress wood detailing on the ceilings and throughout the hotel. We also uncovered an original fireplace that we gave life to again and kept the original arches,” she added.
    The bathrooms incorporate gold elementsThe Art Deco aesthetic is continued upstairs in the hotel’s bedrooms and bathrooms where bath and skincare products by Grown Alchemist can be found.
    Many of the rooms have a rose and emerald colour scheme with gold accents and vibrant clashing patterns that create striking decorations for floors and walls.
    On the rooftop, there is a vintage bar and swimming pool with frilly red awnings and pinstriped seating.
    The rooftop has pinstriped furnishingsEsme Hotel isn’t the only interior that references the opulence of Miami’s past. American designer Ken Fulk styled The Goodtime Hotel to reflect the art deco architecture of the area.
    Fulk also decorated the interior of the Swan restaurant in Miami with soft, candy colours that remind diners of Miami’s 1920s heyday.
    Photography is by Christian Harder.
    Project credits:Client: Infinity HospitalityInterior design: Jessica Schuster Design

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    Stitched brick wall welcomes guests to Uchi Miami restaurant by Michael Hsu

    Masonry bricks are tied together to form a curved entryway at this sushi restaurant in Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood, by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

    At Uchi Miami, the American firm aimed to create a “perfect contrast” between the materials, techniques and styles of Japan and Florida.
    Uchi Miami in Wynwood is fronted by a white structure wrapped in slats”Uchi tells a story of tactility, honoring Japanese tradition, but has been infused with local notes,” said Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
    “Wrapping, layering and stitching, inspired by native art forms, apply sophisticated design to simple objects to elevate ordinary materials found in daily life.”
    A wall of woven bricks by Vas Bets greets guests upon entryFlanked by troughs filled with tropical plants, the entrance is surrounded by a pure white frame wrapped with vertical slats.

    Once through the glass doors, guests are guided around to the host stand by a curved wall of concrete blocks created by locally based artist Vas Bets.
    A chalk mural by Sam Angus Jackson is found above the sushi barThe blocks are tied together with rope, which weaves through their holes in a repeated pattern that is reflected in the polished floor.
    In the main dining area, a mix of banquettes, bar seating and high-top tables offers a variety of configurations for parties of different sizes.
    Warbach’s woven light fixtures create patterns across the ceilingThe wooden banquettes feature curved woven back panels and grey upholstered cushions – in a bouclé fabric for the backs and leather for the seats.
    Walnut table tops and ash chairs match panelling on the walls and ceiling, while other surfaces are lined with bright red and orange wallpaper.

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    Other artist collaborations within the restaurant include a hand-drawn chalk mural of jellyfish by artist Sam Angus Jackson, found above the sushi bar.
    Hand-woven wall hangings by Miami artist Elan Byrd decorate the series of private dining areas, which run along one end of the restaurant behind black-framed glass panels.
    Bright red wallpaper offers a contrast to the natural materialsPositioned over the bars and dining tables, lighting studio Warbach’s bespoke fixtures continue the woven motif.
    “The overhead large, custom basket light provides a warm glow to illuminate the wall’s shapes and textile-inspired characteristics,” said Michael Hsu’s team.
    The studio aimed to blend a variety of textures and materials throughout the restaurantMichael Hsu Office of Architecture has previously completed a restaurant with a curved wooden ceiling in its home city of Austin, Texas.
    The studio has also designed a remote home in Texas Hill Country and the interiors for Shake Shack’s headquarters in New York City.
    The photography is by Chase Daniel.
    Project credits:
    Owner: Hai HospitalityArchitect of record: Form Group ArchitectureGeneral contractor: City Construction GroupProject management: Amicon ManagementKitchen consultant: Trimark USAMEP: RPJ EngineeringLandscape designer: Plant the Future

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    Sarah Coleman puts a psychedelic twist on the brand's logo at the Fendi Caffe

    Artist Sarah Coleman has added a psychedelic twist to Fendi’s distinctive double-F logo for a pop-up cafe she designed for the brand in the Miami Design District.

    Stylised as the Fendi Caffe, the cafe designed for the Italian fashion house was located on the outdoor corridor of OTL restaurant in the heart of Miami’s Design District from May to early July.

    Coleman manipulated the traditional Fendi logoThe cafe was informed by the brand’s Summer Vertigo capsule collection, which New York artist Sarah Coleman designed in collaboration with Fendi’s creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi.
    Defined by yellow and blue tones, the ready-to-wear collection features 90s streetwear references as well as shapes borrowed from 70s psychedelia.
    The entrance to the cafe was on an outdoor corridorCentral to the cafe’s bold design was FF Vertigo, Fendi’s iconic FF logo that Coleman and Venturini Fendi warped for the capsule collection and repeated throughout the cafe in a series of bold colours.
    The artist explained the influences that prompted her to explore the 70s in her design process.

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    “When I first began brainstorming, I went straight to my bookshelf and dove into everything I have about the 1970s, a period of spontaneity and extreme self-expression,” Coleman told Dezeen.
    “I think the 70s are the greatest fashion era of the 20th century. The spirit of disco, the flowing post-psychedelic art,” she added. “There were so many inspiring aesthetic references to draw upon.”
    FF Vertigo was repeated throughout the spaceVisitors to the cafe were greeted with an expanse of bright yellow canopy that contrasted with green potted plants lining the permanent Fendi boutique that is located opposite the pop-up’s site.
    FF Vertigo featured as a bold motif throughout, topping the space’s various tables and barstools while more abstract swirly shapes tumbled over the cafe’s yellow walls.
    A permanent Fendi boutique is opposite where the pop-up wasOrb-style pendant lights and menus also included FF Vertigo in their design, while a more traditional version of the Fendi logo featured on the cafe’s edible items such as cappuccinos and toast.
    Fendi is a luxury fashion house founded in 1925 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi.
    Other previous projects by the brand that are informed by the past include a travelling installation for an edition of Design Miami featuring pastel 50s furniture.
    The images are courtesy of Fendi.

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    MW Works uses dark wood and sandy walls for interiors of Ocean Drive apartment in Miami

    American studio MW Works has converted and refurbished a large beachside apartment on Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida, using tropical hardwood and sand-coloured plaster.The studio knocked together two units in a new high-rise building to create a home for a family of six relocating from Seattle.

    Living areas feature plaster walls and concrete floors
    Materials were chosen to make the most of the quality of light and views of the seashore.
    “The irregular surface of the plaster highlights the changing quality of light throughout the day and lends a softness to private spaces,” said MW Works.

    Dark tropical hardwood in the dining area

    The Ocean Drive apartment’s five bedrooms are placed around the perimeter and decorated in a paler palette, while the kitchen and dining areas in the middle are darker and moodier.
    “Bedroom volumes are treated in pale, sandy tones of hand-troweled plaster reflecting natural light deep into the floor plate,” said the studio
    “The heart of the unit is clad in dark tropical hardwood with careful detailing emphasising mass and craft.”

    Plaster and dark wood in the kitchen
    Wide wooden planks form the floors. Handles and light switches are set into the doors and walls to create an uncluttered atmosphere.
    In the living room and media room, pale concrete floor slabs and a plastered ceiling bounce light around from the floor to ceiling glazing. Balconies overlook a stretch of beach with Miami’s signature lifeguarding huts.

    The home is for a family of six
    Gauzy curtains and earthy-coloured rugs continue the highly textured, refined yet beachy aesthetic of the apartment on Ocean Drive.
    “Woven baskets and patterned floor coverings add a layer of softness,” said MW Works. “Amongst the neutral canvas varied shades of blue, orange and red respond to the native flora and fauna of southern Florida.”

    Bas relief texture in the master bedroom
    In the master bedroom, the headboard wall dividing the bed area from the bathroom has a detailed geometric pattern in bas relief.
    “This design opportunity grew out of the client’s extensive travel in the middle east and their interest in mathematical patterns,” said MW Works.
    “Working with the craftspeople who would install it, we developed a pattern and a fabrication procedure to create an abstracted surface to catch the morning light.”

    The Miami apartment has ocean views
    In the ceilings, an LED lighting system is programmed to track with the sun and change across the course of the day. At night, one of the bathrooms lights up with an approximation of moonlight.
    Based in Seattle, MW Works was founded in 2007 by Steve Mongillo and Eric Walter. The studio often works with natural textures, cladding a cabin in Washington with blackened cedar and using reclaimed timber for a home in Seattle.
    Project credits:
    Architecture and interiors: MW WorksGeneral contractor: DowbuiltLocal contractor: WoolemsEngineer (MEP): Shamrock EngineeringEngineer (low volt): Visual AcousticsEngineer (structural): PCS Structural SolutionsLighting: NiteoFurnishings: Studio DIAA; Matt Anthony DesignsCarved Countertops: The Vero StonePlaster (walls, master headboard): Cathy Connor Studio CWood (casework, floor, ceiling): DowbuiltMetal (casework, hardware, patinas): DowbuiltInterior landscape garden: FormanetaCustom concrete: John DietrichMetals: Argent

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