Savoy-Arlington Hotel
Miami Beach, Florida | ongoing
In an area of Miami Beach redeveloped in the 1970s and characterized by massive slab-type apartment buildings, this project proposes to reinvigorate two historic hotels with intimately-scaled contemporary additions that reinvest the site into its urban context.
The new project integrates the program of a modern resort: guest rooms, gourmet dining, spa, conference rooms, and state-of-the-art back-of-house facilities.
Restoration of two existing historic structures and addition of four new building components with over 81,000 SF of new residential and commercial space will comprise the project, which includes a 145,000 SF boutique hotel with 134 units spread over four oceanfront lots. Endowed with historic resources yet hampered somewhat by its surrounding buildings, this sensitive site presented the challenge of developing significant square footage. The new area was strategically broken down into four moderately-scaled structures. Gracious features of the site, like an expansive interstitial patio with through-views from the street to the ocean are maintained. Existing buildings were expanded by adding recessed apartment penthouses with private roof terraces.
In order to maintain wide view corridors, the three new ocean-facing buildings were designed as separate, permeable slivers. Each seven-story end sliver aligns and caps the historic structure behind. They provide generous units with broad, deep wrapping terraces, transparent walls and expansive views. Set against the scale of their 11-story neighbors, the slivers re-establish the scale, cadence and layering of South Beach’s traditional urbanism.
On the streetfront, a new two-story restaurant fills the gap between the two existing buildings. Articulated as a glass box, it nuances views to the patio and ocean behind and discreetly defers to its historic neighbors, while knitting them together.
The overall project reflects an incremental, rather than radical, approach, to adaptive re-use. It synthesizes old and new in a way that maintains the discrete character and dignity of each.
Awards:
2005 AIA Florida Award of Excellence
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