Herzog & de Meuron unveil Jade Signature model

Pritzker prize-winning Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have unveiled a model of Jade Signature, the luxury condominium Fortune International is developing in Sunny Isles Beach, at the project’s sales office, Curbed reported.

The ground floor is infused with the tropical landscaping of Raymond Jungles.

The South Florida architect’s jungly imprint appears throughout the project, from the pedestrian walkway to the pool deck to the wide terraces and behind the expansive glass walls.

The opulent structure — to be covered in a special white stucco — is angled towards the breeze coming off the gulf stream and to create what developers are calling a “cone of light,” maximizing residents’ hours of direct sunlight, the web site said.

After developing three other Jade projects, Fortune’s chief executive, Edgardo Defortuna, wanted to make a splash with Jade Signature.

“We wanted to do the most spectacular building possible in Sunny Isles, thinking it would be hard to find another site like it with 300 feet of oceanfront,” Defortuna told The Real Deal in a June interview.

“We wanted to bring a great number of excellent architects from New York, including Herzog & de Meuron. We went to their office in Switzerland and were extremely impressed by the quality of work and attention to detail.”

One of the more costly details is the three floors of underground parking. The Swiss architectural firm, bucking the South Florida condo-as-fortress aesthetic, wanted a seamless, open feel from sidewalk to lobby to sand and sea. [Curbed] — Emily Schmall