New development is at the center of Miami’s culture
Miami is polishing its image as a cultural center with a new arts district and an impressive array of new buildings, including the Cesar Pelli-designed Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, which recently won an award from the Urban Land Institute; Museum Park, home to a new art museum with 40 acres of gardens, lawns and fountains; and the Ophelia and Juan Js. Roca Center, which houses the Miami City Ballet.
At the nexus of this resurgence is one of the city’s newest jewels, Marquis Miami, a 67-story crystalline tower that combines 306 private residences and a boutique hotel in what is fast becoming one of the city’s hottest addresses. “If someone wanted a second home in Miami, this place is located so perfectly,” says Lori Ordover, the managing director of sales and leasing for Africa Israel USA, the parent company of the developer, referring to nearby venues including the American Airlines arena. Only minutes away are the white sands and red hot DJs of South Beach. It’s the best of both worlds, Ordover explains, “You’re close to the beach but you don’t have to deal with the traffic or the craziness.”
The building is nearing completion and the end result doesn’t disappoint. The two-story entrance with a dazzling interplay of several different brushed and polished marbles and Macassar Ebony panels sets the stage for the experience, which can best be described as a total immersion in the ideal Miami lifestyle. The exterior is completely sheathed in glass, wrapping each residence in floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping city and water views.
Individual residences include elegant single-level apartments, airy two-level townhomes, dramatic tower suites and an extraordinary 7,000-square-foot penthouse. The penthouse and upper level tower suites offer roof-top terraces with outdoor whirlpools while the others have unusually generous, 8-foot deep balconies.
An added bonus for residents is the inclusion of the Tempo Miami, a 57-room, all-suite boutique hotel managed by Rock Resorts. “The luxury of having a hotel in building allows for a concierge, valet, room service or housekeeping, all those things that make you feel as though you are on vacation,” says Ordover. With an onsite restaurant, a Rock Resorts spa and a 16,000-square-foot pool deck overlooking the Miami Beach skyline and the Atlantic, Miami Marquis is as much a world unto itself as it is a springboard for everything Miami.
—Camilla McLaughlin
The Miami culture is very dynamic and has a heavy Latin influence.