1334 Alton

Miami Beach, Florida | design 2017

What is the future life of a small postwar apartment building, in the face of intensive commercial/retail redevelopment of its surrounding neighborhood?

This project takes the position that even modest buildings can be effectively re-used. Here, a two-story apartment building is repackaged as a mixed-use assemblage of restaurant, retail, professional offices and residential space.

Although unassuming in character, the existing structure in its reuse is styled in a manner that is highly relevant in Miami Beach. To the passerby, a series of strong interventions indicate a change of use. Streetfront parking is converted into a dining plaza; bi-folding glass doors open the façade; a retail court is carved from the interior sideyard between the two existing structures; and a new iconic elevator tower punctuates the interior courtyard.

Finally, a new concrete canopy shelters a new streetfront dining area, adjusting the building’s alignment with adjacent retail buildings. These interventions give the buildingcontemporary relevance and viability.