Park Grove

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

Given that life and art have always been inextricably linked in Coconut Grove, it follows that Park Grove, the area’s most dynamic project to date, would be conceived by some of the world’s foremost artistic thinkers. Led by Rem Koolhaas, Rotterdam-based architectural and design practice OMA (the Office for Metropolitan Architecture) has been shaping the global conversation around architecture and urbanism since its founding in 1975. Today, Koolhaas and partners like Shohei Shigematsu—who oversaw the project at Park Grove—continue to shift the very paradigms they helped create.

Park Grove represents a singular opportunity to own a home in the finest—and final—building in Coconut Grove. In addition to its unrivaled location just off Biscayne Bay, Park Grove constitutes a unique artistic achievement, rendered by some of the world’s greatest living architects. Koolhaas and Shigematsu, both active faculty members at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, are known for their unique ability to rethink architectural norms and re-imagine the boundaries of the possible. As the author of the hugely influential Delirious New York and S,M,L,XL, Koolhaas is a Pritzker prize winner who has changed the face of architecture with iconoclastic projects like his Prada Transformer in Seoul, South Korea. His trailblazing CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, China, re-wrote the rules for what a skyscraper could and should be.

Shigematsu has been equally audacious in his projects, which have included the National Museum of Fine Arts (Musée National des Beaux-Arts) in Quebec and Milstein Hall at Cornell University. He has also led a number of collaborations with leading international artists. He worked with hip-hop artist Kanye West to create a seven-screen pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, masterminded a studio renovation for Chinese artist Cai Guo Qiang, and designed the Marina Abramović Institute for the Preservation of Performance Art in upstate New York.

Typically preferring large-scale public projects, OMA rarely works on commercial developments. But Koolhaas, Shigematsu, and their talented team specifically chose Park Grove as their first commercial residential project in the United States. Coming from the world’s most discerning architectural minds, this is not an insignificant gesture. In Park Grove, OMA saw an opportunity to create not merely a residential development, but a work of intense intellectual rigor. As such, residents of this building will be living in an unprecedented space conceived by some of the world’s leading creative minds. Koolhaas and Shigematsu are more than architects; they are conceptual artists, which is precisely why Coconut Grove is the ideal place for them to express their groundbreaking vision.

Though Miami does not lack for luxury towers, the buildings at Park Grove symbolize a clear departure from the developments happening elsewhere in the city. Here, OMA assiduously studied the history and geography of the land, and designed three towers that respond to both. Although these structures are undeniably modern, their organic forms seem to grow upwards from the earth. In this sense, they both reflect and respect the unique landscape on which they stand.

Given Park Grove’s incredible location right near the bay, the towers are strategically oriented to provide sweeping sea and city views from every residence. From the ground floor to the penthouses, Park Grove offers a unique perspective from each level. Residents might gaze over leafy treetops to the bay, or be able to see all the way to downtown Miami. The towers are carefully designed to afford dynamic panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. From within the towers, the life of the bay—picturesque ships, breaking waves, passing clouds, fiery sunsets—becomes an integrated part of being at home. The residences’ private balconies and large glass walls provide a sense of connection between the indoors and out, and the ocean becomes the natural backdrop for life.

Beyond the individual units, Park Grove’s common spaces—decks, gardens, lounges, event rooms—also offer dramatic views of the bay. So whether residents are catching an early sunrise, gazing out to sea at midday, or having cocktails as the sun sinks below the horizon, far-reaching vistas are an integral part of daily life.

Coconut Grove has long been a community that welcomes and supports artists, and with the introduction of high-profile events like Art Basel, Miami has become an art-world destination. Within this environment, it’s fitting that artists like Koolhaas and Shigematsu would want to leave an indelible mark on Coconut Grove. In a way, this is the logical perpetuation of an artistic cycle that began long ago. At Park Grove, the partners at OMA have done more than create design-forward towers—they’ve created dynamic sculptures that will live at the heart of the unfolding Coconut Grove story.