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Architects: Gensler
- Area: 235000 ft²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Connie Zhou
Text description provided by the architects. The Preserve South Beach creates an identity all its own in the Miami skyline with its new headquarters. Paying homage to Miami Beach’s rich architectural history, the new hub bridges past and present by incorporating elements of the city’s signature Art Deco style with a modern glass window façade. It marries the company’s hospitality roots with its home base’s heritage using a palette of natural elements and expressed stucco floor plates, seamlessly interlacing the landscape into its Gensler-led design. The result is an innovative and uniquely Miami headquarters that is launching its neighborhood’s evolution from a mere resort town to a successful mixed-use community.
The headquarters is set on a 1.2-acre lot across seven uniquely shaped floors, stacked atop parking and retail and bifurcated by a communal breezeway at the fourth level. Two three-story towers flank the breezeway; the client resides in one half of the building while the other half offers boutique office space for lease to growing companies, from tech startups to financial equity firms. The building’s form and orientation across two cores allowed Gensler designers to optimize views and access to natural light while also supporting the company’s commitment to sustainability and energy conservation with self-shading in terracing. Building upon its commitment to the environment, the headquarters was designed with lush landscaping and water features built into every paseo and key tenant intersection, effectively extending the workplace outside, reducing stress, and enabling tenants to work and collaborate freely. The building is certified LEED-NC (New Construction) – Gold.
When The Preserve South Beach team decided to build out its new headquarters, owner Barry Sternlicht was adamant about staying in Miami Beach. The company’s culture was built upon a philosophy of “live, work, play,” where employees could stay close to home while at work and delight in Miami Beach at their leisure. The owner was also keen on keeping the luxe hospitality legacy of his former hospitality company alive. The structure’s glass exterior is complemented by warm stones and bronze metal finishes alluding to Miami Beach’s early Modernist design. Raw elements like wood, a green wall, and exposed concrete evoke the beauty of the city’s natural landscape, while clear glass reflects Miami’s fresh, bright, and contemporary energy.
The building’s iconic architecture alone speaks volumes to the client’s brand, eliminating the need for explicit signage. Featuring a mix of workspaces both indoors and outdoors and a dynamic approach to the workplace of the future on Miami Beach, the new headquarters of The Preserve South Beach is a well-designed beacon that meets the needs of its end user at every point in time, from sunrise to sunset.