An optimal lifestyle for the climate and culture guided our design for Ilona, a high-end condominium complex located in South Beach, Miami. Comprising 16 two-story units, the white stucco-clad building offers 21,000 square feet of living and public spaces, terraces and gardens. Its rooftop is devoted to lifestyle space, with a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, cabanas built into the building’s structure, and ocean views.

Despite restrictive building rules and a small lot size, our design realizes generous interior and exterior spaces based on interlocking volumes that maximize light and air. We have challenged traditional condominium design by building centrally on the site to create a sense of spaciousness and privacy within the boundaries. Garden terraces screened for privacy, and double-height rooms and windows all make the units feel twice their size.

This new typology was an innovation for Miami Beach and achieved ultimate price points. While recognizably residential, it has a simplicity and elegance that acknowledges the vernacular of passing cruise ships and abstractions of Miami Beach’s famous Art Deco heritage. A deliberate distortion of scale leads to dramatic architectural expression, one focused on maximizing Miami’s lifestyle potential.