Arquitectonica tapped for Miami Beach Convention redesign

Miami Beach officials earlier this year scrapped plans by OMA to redesign the Miami Beach Convention Center. Now officials have selected Arquitectonica to lead the renovation.

OMA had proposed a $1 billion masterplan, but the new plans for the existing center are far less ambitious. Arquitectonica does, however, intend to add a new ballroom, meeting space and rooftop parking – with the existing parking lot to be converted into a 6.5 acre public park designed by landscape firm West 8, according to Archdaily.

in January newly-elected mayor Philip Levine and city commissioners voted unanimously to scrap the project OMA’s designs. They have since sought a scaled-back design, which Levine said will enable the project to be ”done fast, on time, on budget.”

But many are not pleased about the decision. Exmiami wrote: ”Koolhaas, regarded by many as one of the greatest living architects, was given the boot following the election of Philip Levine as mayor. Instead, mediocre local firm Arquitectonica, with a long history of churning out subpar buildings with especially poor street level design, is now overseeing exterior architecture.” [Archdaily] – Christopher Cameron