Glass

An 18-story residential tower, GLASS is situated on the southern tip of Miami Beach, in the South of Fifth Street neighborhood.

Light and ethereal, GLASS is a response to its site, context and environment. The building dematerializes as it rises, with its exterior almost disappearing into the atmosphere and its compositional use of fritted, patterned glass. GLASS reflects, captures and abstracts the natural landscape of sand, sea and sky, while retaining the essence of place through its architectural design, its materials, surface textures and tonal color.

The building’s entrance is an immersive environment – at once luxurious and elemental, with natural light and areas with water that evoke the beach. Referencing the visual effect of waves meeting the shore and receding into the sand, porous Coquina stone, which contains fragments of shell and coral, becomes gradually interspersed with small rectangles of smooth, blue Macauba quartzite that reaches a greater density at the elevator, signaling the transition between sand and sea.

The tower itself conveys the qualities of the sky. Open floor-plans with 360-degree views and expansive terraces with sliding doors blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space. Inside, the ceilings of each of ten exclusive units echo this natural element with greyscale tones, darker at the lower floors and lightest at the level of the penthouse. Mirrored walls at every entry reflect an expansive view of the ocean. Indicating the shift between night and day, each foyer also contains a custom ceiling combining a translucent latex surface and a programmable lighting system. The density of lights is carefully choreographed at each level, evoking the star-lit canopy of both urban and rural skies. Delicate and sensorial, the design of GLASS is a considered response to its setting in Miami Beach, specifically intended to allow one to experience the surrounding natural landscape.