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