| OMA has been selected as masterplanner and lead architect for the major redevelopment of the Miami Beach Convention Center. This success comes after OMA’s design for a large mixed-use development in Santa Monica was selected by city officials earlier this month. |
| South Beach ACE — a team consisting of OMA, Tishman Realty and UIA Management — will transform Miami’s convention center, home to Art Basel Miami Beach and the Miami International Boat Show, into a 21st century venue. The design adds a hotel on top of the center and a large stepped park on top of a new underground garage, while reducing the overall footprint of the site and creating new connections with the urban fabric of Miami Beach. Shohei Shigematsu, director of OMA New York, commented, “We are thrilled to be chosen to develop one of the most significant urban districts in the US. Our design will reintegrate Miami’s vital convention center with its neighbors, offering new facilities as well as amplifying the character of this exciting city.” — In the Santa Monica competition, city staff selected OMA’s design for a new residential, hotel, retail and office project in the city’s downtown area. OMA’s design provides the city with 55,000 square feet of additional public space over the original site. Shigematsu commented: “Our ambition was to contribute to Santa Monica’s diverse network of public spaces, from the recreational plazas at the Pier and Palisades Park to contained commercial centers like Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place. Our design provides residents, tourists, and entrepreneurs a dynamic new public realm – a stepped building that achieves a strong interaction between interior program and exterior environments.” The city staff recommendation will be reviewed by Santa Monica’s City Council on August 27 before the project formally proceeds in 2014. |
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.