Lynx is a collaborative project between Oppenheim Architecture and the Pei Partnership (New York)—sons of I.M. Pei and architects of the neighboring Bank of America building. The 2.4-million-square-foot development comprises two tower clusters—one residential and the other mixed-use, including offices, a hotel, and private apartments.

The design and composition of the city block was generated from forensic analysis of floorplate planning, overlayed with sun paths and optimal views. This site-specific approach has generated its own unique and dynamic footprint according to function and orientation.

To reduce the scale of its massive program, we envisioned a “city within a city.” Clusters of individual towers to provide Lynx with a strong communal identity. A family of forms led to a site-wide materials palette with variations within a theme. This identifies the site within the city, while providing enough variation within the block for spatial clarity.

At street level, integration with the urban neighborhood required close alignment with transportation infrastructure, pedestrian experience, and existing city scale. Multiple transportation corridors and modes—including a monorail station for the city loop—meant a complex edge condition. Like a giant 3D jigsaw, we have combined all elements functionally and aesthetically, so that Lynx becomes an integral and elegant addition to Miami’s CBD.

A silvery energy-efficient glass skin and exposed structural frames create architecture that is muscular yet delicate, dynamic yet silent; sophisticated towers that speak to the innovation and energy of the city.