A look toward the future: SoFla’s hottest renderings of 2015

From left: renderings of Aria on the Bay, the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo, and One River Point
From left: renderings of Aria on the Bay, the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo, and One River Point

Record-breaking sales weren’t the only byproduct of a hot year for South Florida’s real estate market: design companies came up with some seriously eye-popping renderings of new developments this year, and even conjured images of what the region could look like in the future.

The Real Deal picked out a few of 2015’s hottest renderings so you can reflect on another year of explosive development in South Florida.

The VisualHouse rendering of the downtown Miami skyline in 2030 (Aerial photography credit: SkyPan International)

The VisualHouse rendering of the downtown Miami skyline in 2030 (Aerial photography credit: SkyPan International)

#1 What will downtown Miami look like in 2030?

This rendering from design firm VisualHouse was a big hit on TRD’s website. It takes an educated guess at what the downtown Miami skyline will look like in the next 15 years — assuming no new projects are proposed and built between now and then. The image is a real photo of the downtown Miami skyline, interlaced with computerized versions of 11 upcoming skyscrapers that are approved or are already under construction. Some of the buildings included are SkyRise Miami, the 1,000-foot observation tower being developed by Jeff Berkowitz, and Ugo Colombo’s Brickell Flatiron, which evokes a similar style to New York City’s famed Flatiron Building.

Rendering of Elysee in East Edgewater

Rendering of Elysee in East Edgewater

#2 Elysee Residences 

Amid the building boom in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood is Elysee, an all-glass tower that will eventually stretch 57 stories at 700 Northeast 23rd Street. The project is headed by Two Roads Development, who are also involved in the nearby Biscayne Beach condo project that’s under construction. The team made a big splash when it announced Elysee in August, claiming the tower will be Edgewater’s tallest when it’s finished in 2018.

A rendering of the two-tower Apeiron at the Jockey Club project in North Miami

A rendering of the two-tower Apeiron at the Jockey Club project in North Miami

#3 Apeiron at the Jockey Club

A development led by the former COO of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. hopes to revitalize an aging condo complex in North Miami called the Jockey Club. Included in its plans are two sleek side-by-side towers with 240 residences and 90 hotel rooms. Their uneven elevations make it look like there are four towers instead of two, though their glass exteriors contrast sharply with the condo complex’s existing 1960s-era buildings.

A rendering of the Miami Beach Convention Center project

A rendering of the Miami Beach Convention Center project

#4 Miami Beach Convention Headquarter Hotel

Designed by architecture firm John Portman & Associates, the hotel portion of the proposed Miami Beach Convention Center redevelopment project would feature 800 rooms, rooftop lounge and several food and beverage outlets. Miami Beach residents still need to give the project at least 60 percent of their votes for Portman to move forward, but the firm hopes to have the hotel built by Art Basel 2018.

Fasano Hotel + Residences at Shore Club - southeast balcony rendering by Visualhouse

Fasano Hotel + Residences at Shore Club (Credit: Visualhouse)

#5 Fasano Hotel + Residences at Shore Club

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Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld is leading the redesign of the Shore Club, which will reopen under the Fasano brand name in 2017. On the development side, New York’s HFZ Capital Group will head construction for the 100-room hotel, which will also feature 75 residential units. The north tower will be converted to an eight-story structure, while the south tower will retain most of the property’s historic details, including the main hotel lobby. Units will range from 800 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet, and include floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces, some of which will exceed 3,000 square feet.

Amenities villa at the Estates at Acqualina (Credit: ArX Solutions)

Amenities villa at the Estates at Acqualina (Credit: ArX Solutions)

#6 The Estates at Acqualina

The Trump Group, of no relation to Donald, is developing the Estates at Acqualina, a 5.6-acre, 50-story waterfront tower at 17901 Collins Avenue. When completed in 2019, the Estates will include an amenities villa complete with an ice skating rink, bowling, a movie theater, and a “Wall Street Trader’s Club” with a ticker tape. Outside, the project will feature a sculpture garden, walking trails, and six pools —  with a FlowRider for surfing, bocce court, dog park, soccer field and basketball court. ArX Solutions created the renderings, which were released in June.

Renderings of the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo Center

Renderings of the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo Center

#7 Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo

Yet another piece of the massive Miami Worldcenter project was revealed earlier this year, when developer MDM Group unveiled its plans for a quad-tower Marriott hotel with more than 600,000 square feet of convention space. Dubbed the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo, the 1,800-room hotel will be the largest in South Florida when it opens in 2018. That honor is currently held by the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which has 1,500 rooms.

A rendering of the upcoming Bal Harbour Shops retail development

A rendering of the Bal Harbour Shops renovation and expansion plan

#8 Bal Harbour Shops 

The luxe Bal Harbour Shops is on the brink of undergoing a $400 million face lift, courtesy of Whitman Family Development. In June, the family owned real estate company revealed it planned to renovate the shops — which have sat untouched for the last two decades — as well as expand several of the major tenants. A vital land swap with between Bal Harbour Village and Whitman passed this year, and groundbreaking is expected in the near future. 

Rendering of Jeff Greene's One West Palm project in West Palm Beach

Rendering of Jeff Greene’s One West Palm project in West Palm Beach

#9 One West Palm 

Talk about going green: In November, billionaire real estate mogul Jeff Greene gave the public a revised look at his One West Palm project, which features twin towers decked out with rooftop green spaces and a vine-covered retail podium. The project would total about 829,000 square feet, split between offices, residences and a 200-room hotel. The bottom floors would also house a conference center, spa and retail space. One West Palm’s design resembles two 30-story stacks of glassy cubes that don’t quite line up with one another.

OneRiverPoint

The top floors of developer Shahab Karmely’s One River Point

#10 One River Point 

Last but certainly not least is this shot of developer Shahab Karmely’s ritzy One River Point project in Miami. These twin 60-story towers will be connected by a massive three-story bridge dubbed the “Sky Club,” complete with its own selection of two restaurants, cigar club and movie screening room. Another one of this project’s notable features, not pictured here, is an 85-foot waterfall that flows down a floating podium. Call it luxury or extravagance, designer Rafael Viñoly wanted to pack it all into one development.