Grove at Grand Bay by Esrawe Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group: 2017 Best of Year Winner for Luxury Condominium
Avant-garde architecture, a tropical vibe, and ooh-la-la glamour coalesce on the former site of the renowned Grand Bay Hotel in the tony Coconut Grove neighborhood. Bjarke Ingels replaced the hotel with a pair of 20-story towers that soar above a looping two-story podium lushly landscaped with 500 trees and 15,000 plants. At the base, torqued concrete columns suggest minimalist sculpture. Floor plates are rotated 3 feet at every level between three and 17, so each of the 98 units affords maximum views of the garden below and Sailboat Bay beyond. Wraparound balconies extend outward as far as 16 feet, enhancing the indoor-outdoor connection. As Bjarke Ingels puts it, “We ‘re-groved’ the heart of Coconut Grove.”
The individual units, which range from 1,200 to 10,000 square feet, are organized as open, flow-through spaces and graced with 12-foot ceilings. The materials palette features marble, limestone, teak, and oak. Given the city’s Latin American influence, the Danish architect tapped Mexico’s Héctor Esrawe for interiors. “They blend Latino and Scandinavian aesthetics,” Esrawe says. And amenities abound. In addition to the five swimming pools, there’s a pet spa and butler service.
Project Team: Esrawe Studio: Jorge Bracho; Hanni Paz; Laura Tlahuizo; Juan Pablo Sandoval; Enrique Ojeda. Bjarne Ingels Group: Thomas Christoffersen; Leon Rost; Ziad Shehab; Beat Schenk; Jenny Chang; Brian Foster; Edward Yung; Jitendra Jean; Tiago Barros; Terrence Chew; Ji-Young Yoon; Ho Kyung Lee; Kasper Hansen; Greg Knobloch; Chris Malcolm; Cat Huang; Martin Voelkle; Maureen McGee; Chris Falla; Taylor McNally-Anderson; Alana Goldweit; Mina Rafiee; Valerie Lechner; Chris Gotfredsen; Aaron Hales; Bennett Gale; Haochen Yu; Hongyi Jin; Iannis Kandyliaris; Maureen Rahman; Rakel Karlsdóttir; Thomas Juul-Jensen.
