Foster + Partners has revealed designs for a new mixed-use building, The Alton, in the heart of Miami Beach. Developed by SHVO, the six-storey building will include ground floor retail, two parking and residential levels, three floors of high-quality office space, and verdant rooftop gardens. It is located on Alton Road, an arterial road that runs the length of Miami Beach, at an intersection with Lincoln Road, the city’s iconic pedestrianised shopping street.

David Summerfield, head of studio, Foster + Partners, said:

“Learning from Florida’s vernacular architecture, The Alton features extensive landscaping, incorporates natural light and passive shading techniques to create a dynamic urban environment. The building is designed with a strong structural rhythm that generates a shaded retail colonnade at street level. The scheme is also extremely permeable, with pedestrian routes directly underneath the building, connecting West Avenue and Alton Road.”

The building’s massing responds to the cityscape, stepping down to the south and west, in acknowledgment of neighbouring low-rise buildings. The stepped building form also generates spacious green terraces, where employees can work and socialise. Office level facades are recessed to increase solar shading, provide depth, and create additional balcony spaces.

A landscaped driveway at the rear of the building leads to an internal vehicular ramp that directly connects with the carpark above. The ramp is suspended, to free up the ground level, and wraps around a floor to sky oculus, which brings natural light through the office into the public realm below.

Offices have operable windows and are cross ventilated to create a comfortable working environment. Open-air pocket gardens visually connect multiple office floors and provide uplifting green spaces for indoor-outdoor working, which are flooded with natural daylight. On the rooftop level, a series of private gardens offer panoramic views of the city and Brickell Bay.

Pale concrete has been selected in response to the local material palette and, together with the extensive landscaping, they reduce the heat island effect. The ground floor lobby has fluted concrete walls, which add depth and texture to the space, and will feature a number of colourful artworks.