The 1111 Lincoln garage and a game of its Transparency

    The 1111 Lincoln garage is successful urban sculpture, designed by Herzog & de Meuron that allures the Miami Beach visitors and publicity with its futuristic look. The building integrates the varieties of the city functions, such a notion of the vertically sliced version of the facing public plaza; a giant buffer of the Lincoln Road corner; an open-air box, with the exposed plagued glass-glazed retails and hidden roof private unit with hanging garden on the top.

Figure 1. View of 1111 from Alton Rd 

    Structure has organic resolution and plasticity, as it collects the loads on angle and transferring them to the commercial first level. The choice of narrow slanted columns along with the thin edges created the feeling of lightness. The first floor commercial glass partition hides the distribution of the building weight to the ground, adding the sense of float to the concrete structure. Furthermore, during the night illumination the building displays its transparency and looks like an illuminated ceiling for the block corner.

    The exterior impression achieved by extrusion of the volumes of different heights and the projection of the slab horizontal outlines lines. The arrangement of the horizontal layers with the patched-like columns is a play of the logic of gravity and scale, where suppressed spaces contrasted with the elongated, vertically oriented ones. The thinness of cantilevered slabs are achieved by the trimming the angle toward the bottom edge.  Theses sharp lines make the emphasis the contract of light and shadow, which is demonstrated throughout the building.

    Interior takes the walker to experience the alternation of the dark-and-close versus light-and-open volumes through the sequences of the turning motions. The ramps have a similar embedded idea for the driver experience. 

Figure 2. The dark cut-in interior stairs contrast the lighted open floor 

    Transparency is readable through all building systems: opened staircase, thin railings, and car ramps. Ones walking through garage might experience the dynamic change of the floors heights and vertigo. The unprotected feeling of elevation slows down the pace and alerts the vigilance.  The radiated perspectives toward the city and the supreme view above the Miami Beach make visitors to take their time for the observation. The relation of this public space to the city is developed vertically, where the activities that happened on the top floors of the surrounding buildings can be seen as they were on the street. 

Figure 3. Transparency of the staircase and a vertical spacial progression 

   The angularity and sharpness of slabs and columns are enriched with the leading serpentine road that knitted into the building layers. Clean lines of the horizontal wired railings highlight the continuous space and extensive views.

Figure 4. Wavy ramp are connectors through different volumes 

   The placing of the suppressed volume into larger ones makes gesture toward interior essence.  This overhanging element acts like a soffit and along with the large superior columns creates ceremonial space. The importance of the events is expressed though the elevated position above the city and use of the city panorama as a backdrop.

Figure 5. 7th floor theatrical space is used for the events planning

Figure 6. The ground level concave passage creates interior quality space

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