Herzog & de Meuron. 1111 Lincoln Road. "The joy ride"

A few days ago, I was amazed while visiting Herzog & de Meuron's -almost finished- building at Lincoln Road (Miami's most popular open mall). Garage, shops, and residences all mixed up in a unique spot. This whole new spatial and conceptual experience synthesizes the core of architectual design: the need of reflecting the actual -contemporary- way of life. H&M did it just great!

Seen from far, it looks like an unfinished building. It's the "muscle without cloth" as Herzog define's it. Well, aren't we in Miami?

As you enter by car it seems as if Disney's Magic Kingdom where right in the heart of South Miami Beach. The twist and turns overlapped with different heighted levels makes you feel flattened but then relieved as the susesion of simple and double heighted levels appear while driving along the ramps. Also, the dim light in the low heighted levels makes you feel you're going to be crushed against the ceiling when coming from a high leveled and "lighted" one. It's light that creates space with ticklish sensations. That's fun.

This is a "low heighted level". Shadow

and this one is high. Light.

We parked on level 7. The last one. Miami's skyline looked magnificent. But...was I on a parking garage? Yes, I was.

 I walked all the way down - it's a must- and from the top I could hear a car's engine, and to my surprise, as I peeked from the stairs,  I could see that the car was down on Level 1. Looking through the faceted stairway hole seemed like a game of hide and seek. Again in Disney trying to find the car as it appeared here but then there.

It's the ride that matters. A travel along the building. We're in Miami, aren't we?

Impeccable construction and thorough design:

The railing passing through the concrete columns

Entrance to the bathroom. What an angle! The painted strips on the wall highlight the walkway that crosses from one street to the other. Don't like the flooring.

Levels? What size? medium, large, or small? Just like shopping in Miami!

one of the stairs that link to the neighbouring bank.

a steel rod web. Art

concrete "cut with a nife". The solid concrete was as soft as baby's skin.

The whole building is a sculpture, but the stairs are the masterpiece:

Is it a Miami bunyan tree?

 Believe it or not, a Retail at level 5!!! Lincoln's promenade continues...! (It's the glass structure at the back)

The mischief (Sorry H&deM! I believe it ment pain for them too!):

The ramp-column encounter

Is that "3" upside down?

If you ever go to Miami, you can't skip 1111 Lincoln Road. You've got to experience the sensorial promenade of this exceptional building full of details....

Herzog & de Meuron. 1111 Lincoln Road. "The joy ride"