Design District Retail “Copper Stitch”

Winner of the Miami AIA 2017 Unbuilt Award

Building Area: 45,000 SF
Building Status: Unbuilt

The Copper Stitch is a retail infill project in Miami. The site’s lots are divided, with one small lot fronting NE 1st Street, and other lots grouped together on NE 39th Street. The client charged us with finding a way to connect the two sites with a memorable yet discreet design in keeping with the aesthetic of the Miami Design District’s mix of luxury shops and restaurants. We wanted to design, in addition, a focal point that would activate the street at night with a soft glow.

A major inspiration for the project was our exploration of the many ways to use copper material – as a perforated rain screen, as softly-burnished reflective panels, and as copper fascia. We wanted to differentiate the building with a distinctive, warm material that was rich enough in its materiality to hold its own with adjacent luxury retailers.