Engle BuildingCommercial Real Estate Architectural Design
Wayfinding
Reimagining Miami’s historic center
Overview
Modernization of a series of buildings that constitute an entire city block in the heart of Coconut Grove – the oldest continuously-inhabited neighborhood of Miami, FL. The project’s aim was for the buildings, historic 1950s structures, to play roles as future centers of commerce within the neighborhood.
A unified design language was produced through on-the-ground research, taking inspiration from local patterns, textures, and color palettes. Coconut Grove’s distinct character as an oceanfront neighborhood with prominent marinas played a central role in the visual concept. Variations of blue, white, and black echoed the nautical themes found throughout the area.
Features include facade reconditioning, custom-built canopies, adapted building signage, and universal wayfinding standards. The completed project united the buildings, its tenants, and the area with a locally inspired design language.
After completion, the development attracted new local and multinational tenants including Mr. C Hotel, Aesop, Warby Parker, and Outdoor Voices.
Press The Real Deal Engle Building draws prestigious tenants
The Real Deal Coconut Grove reinventing itself as luxury enclave
The three distinct buildings, featuring varying architectural styles, were approached from an identity standpoint. As the separate properties – spread across a city block – were placed under new ownership, the perspectives of the passerby and customer were considered for visual unity.
Research was conducted on the history, textures, and distribution of Coconut Grove, as well as its most cherished businesses and institutions.
The historic buildings – colloquially known as the Engle Building and Village Shops – are a focal point within Coconut Grove’s rich tapestry of foliage and harmonized color.
Renovations to these properties, along with the curated selection of new anchor tenants, were carefully considered to uphold the neighborhood’s character, celebrate its heritage, and set the stage for growth.
The design process examined the area’s defining traits, determining prominent themes and concepts to carry over into a stylistic language. A nautical color palette – inspired by the oceanfront and local marinas – was chosen to unify the block and enhance the buildings’ roles as focal points.
The color blue was identifiable and flexible as it was applied in various styles thought the facades. A darker shade in a striped pattern was chosen to offset the white facade of the most sun-exposed building, while varying tints were used to highlight the center property in the shadow of a tree canopy.
Client Main Highway LLC
Architect
Arquitectonica
Team
Andrew Persoff, Lead Designer
Hira Sabuhi, Designer
Christine Zavesky, Designer
Image Credits Tenant and neighborhood images copyright of respective owners