Collins Park PlaceMiami Beach, USA

Located in the Bass Museum neighborhood and behind the Library and Ballet buildings, the project unifies two sites separated by a street. In a joint venture with Zaha Hadid Architects, the $22.5 million building includes 17,000 square feet of retail areas, 480 parking structures, a public plaza for events, weekend food markets, or exterior movie projections. The existing street is closed to cars, and the new pedestrian corridor will link the Complex with the Bass Museum Park. The project is targeted for LEED SILVER certification.

Recognizing the impact of high volumes of visitors to the Miami Beach area and the ensuing difficulties for Miami Beach residents, the city commissioned several studies to improve infrastructure and resident mobility.  One of the conclusions was to provide additional parking both strategically and creatively.  A site for a parking garage was selected adjacent to Collins Park.

The Collins Park area includes a park and several cultural buildings, as well as significant pedestrian and urban links in Miami Beach.  A parking structure here must deliver more than a purely functional parking garage; the architecture must participate in and enhance the surrounding context.