New Miami Station Unveiled

[taylormiller]

I'm no architect, but I can certainly understand how a contemporary design such as this can be pereceived as "generic." Straight lines, monochromatic color schemes, and emphasis on simplicty and function over elaborate design and embellishments can often give off a cold and genericly "un-homey" feel. I suppose that could stem from how regularly that architectural design is employed nowadays for apartment buildings, universities, restaurants, etc. and doesn't necessarily reflect other buildings in the area. For a series of examples, examine the construction on-going at the University of North Florida: the biology building, gymnasium, student union, etc., are all highly functional buildings constructed to LEED standards which routinely use neutral color schemes of whites, beiges and greys. They are fantastic examples of the design, but sometimes that design can sacrifice a unique sense of  identity in the name of functionality.

Miami has, for decades, profited from marketing its distinctly Floridian feel - all the buildings on South Beach, many homes in the area, and much of the image of Miami in media usually showcases a palette of light pinks, blues, greens, and yellows and art deco design. This "South-Florida look" might have made this station more architecturally consistent, but rarely is something like this considered iconic based on design alone.

Whether this station becomes known as iconic is in large part, determined by how much it's used. I hope this new station is successful in the area because it has the capacity to demonstrate the importance of mass transit in Florida. Furthermore, the design illustrates just how crucial it is to have retail built into the infrastructure of the transit system. The Jacksonville Skyrail has not lived up to expectations for a variety of reasons, but not incorporating retail into the design was a colossal failure. Best case scenario, this station is a resounding success and it gets Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville moving towards revamping their respective transportation systems.

[thelakelander]

Best case scenario, this station is a resounding success and it gets Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville moving towards revamping their respective transportation systems.

I definitely agree with this! As for the station's design, I think the towers will ultimately define it.  Whether it becomes something "iconic" will probably depend just as much on the evolution of the city globally as the architecture and function of the building.

[Ocklawaha]

I would argue that it doesn't have to be in a 'world city' to be 'world iconic.' As simms3 has said, the Hoover Dam is really in the middle of absolutely nothing! In transportation Pikes Peak, Mt. Washington, Chattanooga Choo Choo, and the Spencer Shops are as iconic as Penn Station or Grand Central. LaSalle Street, Dearborn, Central, Union, Grand Central, Northwestern, South Shore Stations in Chicago were iconic, but not any more then the ones in Memphis, LA, Terminal or Union in Atlanta and none were as beautiful as Union in Augusta or Savannah. Jacksonville's Union Terminal Station is very iconic, known to travelers of my generation around the world, known by a simple glance, known by  its reputation as the hub of the hive in downtown and sadly known as the station that was saved and forgotten, mismanaged and wildly unrealistic.

We could have that iconic hive back in downtown, but the powers that be, JTA, FDOT nor anyone else is listening. CHIRP CHIRP.

[thelakelander]

^Ock, the average American today probably has no idea of what the Chattanooga Choo Choo or the Spencer Shops are. Heck, I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable about transportation and nothing visual pops in my head for half of those places listed. Other than Grand Central, most of those I didn't know about till visiting those cities and coming across them. Iconic is one of those terms that means something different to different people.

[simms3]

Agreed, to both of you.

Iconic to me is more or less along the lines of Grand Central.  That said, Mount Rushmore, Hoover Dam, Gateway Arch, the Alamo, the Mormon Tabernacle, Fort Sumter, Hatteras Lighthouse, Plymouth Rock, Mt. Vernon, and more to name a few are all pretty iconic manmade structures that aren't iconic simply because of the *world-class* cities or areas in which they are in (STL is the most major of these cities and isn't even a major city any more, yet everyone in America and likely quite a few worldwide know about the Gateway Arch, probably the only thing they can visualize concerning the area...and they may not even know it's in STL, just that it exists).

I think a stereotypical scene from South Beach is about as iconic as it already gets.  A tall building or rail terminal in DT Miami is probably never going to be iconic.  Miami is a globally known city, but despite all those condo towers, nobody except for skyscraper fanatics such as myself gives two shits about its downtown.

My whole question here is what is all of this going to tie to?  Rail ties commerce centers.  DT Miami really isn't a commerce center.  It has about as much office space as Oakland, CA.  It's tying to Orlando, which is arguably being more successful at centralizing the area's commerce activities (outside of theme parks/conventions) downtown.  But neither is a mecca of commerce.

Commuting patterns between Miami/Orlando just aren't the same as between cities on the Bos/Wash corridor, or between Sacramento/SF/LA/SD, or between Portland and Seattle or between Chicago, Indy, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.

Maybe the hope is that having rail will spur more commercial activity through connectivity?  Swire wants to build a 1,000 ft office tower in DT Miami.  It's not the first "serious" proposal for the same, none of which have happened.  Where are the tenants going to come from?

Most of the towers accompanying these massive almost self-contained developments (such as this AAF rail terminal) are still condo/luxury hotel.  And the vast majority of buyers are still foreigners looking for piggy banks.  I'm still not optimistic about any of this and will continue to love Miami for South Beach and its party atmosphere, not for its downtown/commerce activities.

[thelakelander]

Just for clarification, I wasn't stating that to be an iconic place or feature, it had to be located in a world class city. I was just expressing my opinion that the Bay Area's bridges benefit from being in a place that is iconic in itself in terms of history, culture and natural urban landscape. There are several bridges across the globe that are equally impressive but lesser known because the places they are located in aren't as easily recognized by the larger population.

[avonjax]

I like it a lot. I would happily have something that breaks the horrific mold that Jax architecture has become encased in.

[simms3]

Just for clarification, I wasn't stating that to be an iconic place or feature, it had to be located in a world class city. I was just expressing my opinion that the Bay Area's bridges benefit from being in a place that is iconic in itself in terms of history, culture and natural urban landscape. There are several bridges across the globe that are equally impressive but lesser known because the places they are located in aren't as easily recognized by the larger population.

No I get it, and agree to some sort of extent (not sure which extent, but one).

But the following is a shortlist of why I think the Empire State Building and Golden Gate Bridge are iconic, in no particular order:

1) Record setters (and long-standing records, some of which still remain).  ASCE names both to list of 7 Modern Wonders of World.  Will AAF/Miami train station set any major new records and hold these records for decades to come?

2) Era (1930s Depression Era)...these were symbols of hope for the economy and employed massive amounts of people in a time of the worst unemployment in American history (one was Public Works, one was corporate growth/ego).  We are back to record employment levels and record skepticism of government intrusion into the economy/anything.  Totally opposite times.

3) Design - ES almost best embodies the Art Deco period and GG Bridge still looks so unique/handsome amongst all bridges.  The design of this station is subjective, but I don't think it's cool/unique enough to be "iconic".  In fact, Cesar Pelli's counterpart UC now in SF is better looking, imo, and I don't think that's iconic either.

4) Setting - NYC's setting is defined by skyscrapers, and this reigned above them all.  SF's setting is defined by the Bay/mts, and the bridge crossed the Bay into the mountains, so each icon takes advantage of each area's most well known feature (Miami's not known explicitly for skyscrapers, commerce, trains, or big public works...and I think unless it's in SoBe nobody outside of Miami cares about it).

5) The cities themselves - someone from Kansas could easily follow the progress of the ES Building or GG Bridge because the media was based in NYC and SF at the time, and those cities were the largest and most important at that time.  Mount Rushmore and the Hoover Dam were also under construction in remote parts at this time, and while iconic, they were probably more difficult to "follow" for the average American.  Nobody in KS is going to give a shit about a new train station in DT Miami.


Let's not forget that the American public is a lot less enamored with public works/infrastructure projects now than they were then.  Even here in SF/CA, HSR and the new train stations are more controversial for cost/necessity than not.  In the 1930s these projects would have been celebrated, especially since Americans were relying on the government to pull the country out of its economic mess.

I guess that's why I don't think the cities themselves "matter" as much.  Miami is already global and iconic, but for reasons so vastly different from what this train station represents that this train station will never become iconic in the way that Grand Central is, or ES Building/GG Bridge are.

[simms3]

I like it a lot. I would happily have something that breaks the horrific mold that Jax architecture has become encased in.

Architect on record is Zyscovich Architects (local to Miami) with namesake/input from SOM (Roger Duffy to be specific...he also led the conception of Penn Station redevelopment in NYC and is based out of NYC).

Craig Hartman at SOM designed an SOM building rising a block from my office.  With a firm that large, individual designs can vary and run the full gamut.  SOM often consults and lends its name to very large projects that are actually designed mostly by smaller/local firms.

SOM also redesigned the now famous Denver Union Station redevelopment.

I don't think they've designed anything in FL yet except for a version of the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL.  SOM keeps offices in Chicago (founded), NYC, SF, Los Angeles, and DC (+ London, AbuDhabi, Mumbai, Hong kong, and Shanghai).

[thelakelander]

^Zyscovich was COJ's consultant for the COJ Visioning Plans that the 2030 Mobility Plan was tailored to help implement.

[thelakelander]

More pics:




http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=6596633#post6596633

[thelakelander]

This is the Miami World Center project that will be going up next door to AAF's development:

[southsider1015]

Generic?   

Are you kidding?  These concepts are about as modern and stylish as a train station can get.  It completely fits in with Miami, and couldn't be more tasteful.

Jealous?

[thelakelander]

^Unfortunately, you'll be hard pressed to find such a design in Jax. I'll take that any day over this beauty:

[finehoe]

Jealous?

I'd characterize it more as envy.