The financial and lifestyle district of Brickell is often referred to as Miami’s »Manhattan«: The constantly changing cityscape here is characterized by densely packed, ultra-modern high-rise buildings, some designed by internationally renowned architecture studios. The perfect place for Mercedes-Benz to create its own outstanding luxury real estate: Mercedes-Benz Places Miami is determined to set new standards in the currently booming branded real estate segment. During the grand opening of the »Sales Gallery«, Chapter was able to get a first impression of the luxurious concept and talk to Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz, about the holistic design concept of »Sensual Purity« behind it.
»Our style must be timeless, but must always be rethought. We challenge ourselves every day to combine aesthetics with innovation«, says Gorden Wagener. With Mercedes-Benz Places, he and his team now want to transfer their own design philosophy of Sensual Purity to architecture. With over 2.5 million square feet of space and 67 floors, it is one of the largest and most ambitious construction projects in Florida and will include around 800 residential units and residences, a wellness center, a 174-room luxury hotel, office space and, of course, the most exclusive amenities—from huge swimming pools and Mercedes-inspired lounges such as the Silver Arrow Lounge to dedicated podcast studios and a Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 simulator.
Of course, the self-confidence typical of Mercedes-Benz is also evident in this project: The aim is to set new standards for branded residences and redefine the future of premium living—with a harmonious synthesis of iconic design, state-of-the-art technology and maximum comfort. In Brickell, Miami’s rapidly growing district known for its ultra-modern architecture of office towers and luxury residential complexes, this project is set to manifest itself in a similar way to Mercedes-Benz Places Dubai—whereby the two projects ideally complement each other in terms of design and at the same time demonstrate the bipolarity of the Sensual Purity design philosophy: »Dubai, with its unmistakable elliptical shape and flowing lines, appeals more strongly to emotions—the heart. Miami stands more for rationality and thus the intelligent pole of our design philosophy. Its simple cubic bodies, artfully linked together, form a striking skyscraper that will stand out from Miami’s architectural landscape«, explains Gorden Wagener, who played a leading role in the design of the project, in our interview.
The recently unveiled VR renderings and architectural models already hint at the meticulous technological precision and uncompromising quality standards behind these cubic towers, whose stacked elements subtly echo the brand’s signature design language. Yet, the progressive architectural vision of Mercedes-Benz Places Miami is also deliberately provocative: »It becomes an icon when you rub against corners and edges, like the G-Class for example—when something has a distinctly significant shape. And we are now trying to achieve this in architecture too. We did this in Dubai with the Streamline shape and here we are doing it with the cubic body. Both are also a little provocative«, attests Gorden Wagener.
The fact that a holistic understanding and applicability of the design concept he has defined, far beyond the automotive sector, is important to the German designer and that he truly enjoys it, becomes clear again and again during our conversation: »You can only be good if you have fun«, he emphasizes. And Gorden Wagener particularly enjoys creating beauty—a goal that has always been his top priority, despite all the luxury superlatives surrounding Mercedes-Benz Places Miami: »I am a true believer in beauty. We will never create ugly or awkward things,« Wagener tells us. »And I am also convinced that good design must be sustainable—This is a German virtue: clean, purist design with a focus on longevity. Like a perfectly designed watch that is passed down through generations.«
Another key element of the project is also based on sustainability: the redesign of the surrounding Southside Park in collaboration with the renowned landscape architecture firm Field Operations, which was also responsible for the concept of the famous High Line in New York City. The Southside Park is to be completely revitalized and planted with plants and offer leisure and sports facilities—a green oasis in the urban environment that will benefit the entire district.
And there is no shortage of such strong partnerships in this project anyway: the implementation of Mercedes-Benz Places Miami will be the result of a collaboration with some of the most renowned players in the architecture, real estate and design industry. The project is being developed by the JDS Development Group, known for some of the most impressive skyscrapers of recent years—including the Brooklyn Tower, the Steinway Tower, considered the world’s thinnest skyscraper, and the American Copper Buildings in Manhattan. The architecture comes from the multi-award-winning SHoP Architects, while the renowned design studio Woods Bagot is responsible for the interior design together with the Mercedes-Benz design team. And last but not least, successful marketing will of course be essential: Serhant, a leading US real estate and media group led by Ryan Serhant (in picture above with Gorden Wagener), who is as busy as he is present in the media, will provide the necessary sales power.
»We want to take the next step in design history«, Gorden Wagener concludes, »our vision is to create not just cars, but living spaces that define the future.« You will be able to see this for yourself by the end of 2027 at the latest, when Mercedes-Benz Places Miami will be completed. As an architectural highlight that will not only have a lasting impact on the Miami skyline, but will certainly also shape the future of premium living. [CS]
