Construction broke ground on a new cruise terminal at Port of Miami designed by Arquitectonica for cruise operator MSC Cruises. With the capacity to process 36,000 passengers per day and simultaneously accommodate three mega cruise ships, the structure due for completion in 2023 will be the largest cruise terminal in North America. Located on the eastern end of the Port, the 4-storey structure makes the most of the long, narrow site by creating a layered embark and debark experience, expressed in its architectural image.
As described by the architects, the project “takes advantage of the length of the site to project a powerful shape and dimension like no other at Port Miami”. The wave-like MSC Cruises terminal maximises the use of the ground floor for luggage processing and ship provisioning operations. On the west end, the design features an elevated entry plaza designed for passenger embark. The project also features a multi-level parking garage for 2,400 vehicles.
Arquitectonica was also in charge of the interior design, while the firm’s landscape architecture and urban design branch envisioned the terminal’s entry plaza landscape and hardscape. Earlier this year, another terminal designed by Arquitectonica, Flagship Terminal V, was inaugurated in PortMiami. Known as the world's cruise capital, Port Miami has been expanding in recent years, becoming the largest passenger port. Broadway Malyan-designed Terminal A is currently the Port’s largest cruise terminal.