The $515.5 million transformation of the once outdated Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) has revitalized the existing facility into a vibrant, daylit space that complements its luminous atmosphere. As a significant economic generator for the city and region, MBCC hosts annual world-renowned events such as Art Basel.
MBCC is located two blocks from the ocean in South Beach, and the façade’s fluid rhythm highlights features of the local environment and places an emphasis on rolling ocean waves. Over 500 unique aluminium fins are affixed to the exterior curtainwall. In traditional architecture, each fin would have been detailed by hand and laboriously redrawn with each modification. In this case, the utilization of parametric software has seamlessly interfaced with design and documentation models to provide accurate, real-time updates. In addition to saving manhours and ensuring accuracy, the parametric software facilitated the fabrication process, allowing coordinates to be directly imported into the manufacturer’s modeling software.
The resulting fins create an efficient curtainwall screen that responds to the solar orientation of each façade, generating dappled and diffused light from the intense tropical sun of Southern Florida. The result is daylit lobbies and prefunction spaces that provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments.
The expanded and renovated Miami Beach Convention Center stays true to Miami’s style and identity, continuing to strengthen the city’s claim as a premier global hub for arts, culture, and technology and creating a sense of civic pride for its users and community alike.
All the information about how to enter the 2020 WAN Awards is here.
We are very happy to offer support so please don’t hesitate to email Georgia, WAN Awards Event Coordinator with any questions at Georgia.Baily@haymarket.com.
Last year more than 40 countries took part in the WAN Awards with strong showings from Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. And we saw some truly outstanding projects, take a look at the winners from last year here.