A A'l


Miracle Center


Miami, Florida


Architect
Arquitectonica International
Corporation
Coral Gables, Florida

Developer
Fort Schoenberg Properties
Sunbelt Developers

Consulting Engineers
Florida Engineering Services
Louis Aguirre & Associates -
Guido van Meek & Associates
Cantor, Seinuk & Puig &
Associates \ \
Lagomasino Vitale &
Associates

Landscape Architects
Albert R. Perez & Associates '

General Contractor /
Hill Constructors


 This project is a multi-level
urban, mixed-use center on a
busy urban street which is an
extension of downtown Coral
Gables. The design maximizes
the retail space and structured
parking in a simple and effi-
cient volume while creating a
dramatic interior mall, as well
as an urban landmark.
 The commercial functions
are organized on three levels in
a block long rectangle. A
central 30-foot-wide mall con-
nects through the block from
street to street. At the upper
level, the cinema lobby and
circulation spaces cross the
mall on bridges. Also on the
upper level, the health club
aerobics room spans the mall,
adding interest and energy to
the shopping level below.
 In addition to three shop-
ping levels, the building con-
tains five parking levels and a
pool and running track on the
roof. On the outside the build-
ing is a sheer glass rectangle on
its public sides. There is a
continuous glass display of
store windows at the pedes-
trian level, punctuated by three
major entries. Above these,
super-scaled trapezoidal pan-


els float like "clouds" in front
of the retail and parking fa-
cades behind. These "clouds"
are painted black and white to
appear marbleized and contrast
to the blue background of the
building mass.

JURY: "This is an exciting
building for what is usually a
mundane function. A real show
stopper. This building took
guts on the part of the architect
and the owner."


FLORIDA ARCHITECT September/October 1989