LARGE ROOF: WHEN AN ARTIFICIAL GEOGRAPHIC CONDITION DEMANDS AN INTUITIVE ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE

 The proposal responds in size to the cruise ships and the large buildings that define Biscayne Bay, both in Miami Beach and Downtown Miami.

 The project is a large roof which hovers above the programmatic elements. To the west side are located the arrival and departure sections and their respective functions, as well as the café, while on the east side of the project are the two hangars for the Albatros Grumann planes (90’ wingspan). Between the two enclosed areas is the tarmac where passengers get glimpses of the Miami skyline. To the street the building presents itself with a large stair and ramp sequence, which in turn acts as a security barrier for arriving passengers. The project also engages the Port of Miami Channel in order to announce its amphibian nature. Changes in the tides reinforce a temporal experience as varying water levels would be registered onto the concrete piers.

 The roof’s primary purpose is to protect from the elements. The space that is defined by the roof appears to be engulfed in shadow, in much the same way the Miami Beach Post Office or the Essex Hotel provide an escape from the Miami sun into a somber atmosphere of darkness. The shimmering water will reflect onto the underside of the concrete roof and sounds of the gentle waves created by the cruise ships will be amplified yet contained.

Light-wells are introduced at strategic locations, such as above the café, at the arrival sequence from the water as well as near the approach from land, in order to further emphasize the light quality of Miami.

The roof is considered to be a single plane which is folded down to become the vertical supports. The supports directly respond to the size of the program (spaced tighter to the west and more spread out to the east for the hangars). The plane is further compressed and folded in the East-West direction, in order to produce ridges for lateral support.

When seen from above - either as one approaches by air or from the large cruise liners – the project is experienced as a large mass. As one enters the structure the project transforms into an ephemeral space.

The roads on MacArthur Island are reconfigured for better circulation and access to the newly proposed program. In addition the geometric pattern of the project is extended into a public park on both sides of the Airport.