70-Story Solar-Powered Tower Breaks Ground, World’s First

A 70-story residential tower that will generate its own solar power has broken ground in Brickell, and is said to be the first of its kind in the world.

The tower will have a 20,000 square foot “Solar Backbone,” with photovoltaic panels built into the glass façade. It will produce 175 MWh of electricity annually, reducing approximately 4,700 tons of CO2 and using 3,000 barrels less of oil.

It also becomes one of the tallest towers under construction in Miami. It will rise to a permanent height of about 861 feet above ground, while construction cranes will surpass 1,000 feet above ground.

There are 195 residential units planned, with 80,000 square feet of amenities. Prices range from $3 million to $7 million, while penthouses are priced from $8 million to $60 million.

John Moriarty & Associates is the general contractor.

Ytech is the developer, with ACPV Architects and Arquitectonica the architects.

 

(renderings: The Boundary for Ytech)

 

 

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Bob Art Guy
1 day ago

This building’s distinct charm will be a great addition to Brickell. Thank you for thinking big YTech !

Bob Art Guy
1 day ago

One thought. Use some of that power the building generates to light up the white podium. It could be very dramatic

Anonymous
1 day ago

Charming isn’t the right word… but imaginative, yes.

Anonymous
22 hours ago

Love this design – but “charm” is how I would describe some of the older buildings in Brickell, this is spectacular.

Anonymous
22 hours ago

Impressed with Architectonica on this one.

Anon
1 day ago

Evidently buyers with deposit money don’t care about various podium opinions as this is going forward and getting built.

Yehuddah Greenstein
23 hours ago

This towa is gohgeous!

TMK
1 day ago

This is SO UNTRUE! The lot is all clean. NO GROUND BROKEN. NO MACHINERY. THIS week tents & wood planks are being installed. I suppose for a SYMBOLIC ground breaking event and party. BUT it’s coming. And this will be a stunning building. 1428. Cipriani. Baccarat. St Regis. Aston Martin. These 5 Will be the finest ALL residential buildings in the heart of Brickell.

Anon
1 day ago

a symbolic ground breaking is a ground breaking, always has been, always will be … looks like it’s going to be today!

SW30
1 day ago

Lol yea like Anon said, the “ground breaking” is just a ceremony. 1428’s ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for today (11/13/14). Don’t stress out too much about it TMK lol

Wrong
1 day ago

Aston Martin is downtown.

Conrad
1 day ago

Aston Martin is in the Central Business District.

Both the Brickell Financial District AND the CBD are in Downtown.

To Tell The T
9 hours ago

Ora by Casa Tua in my opinion looks more interesting than Baccarat or Cipriani.

William I Am
1 day ago

Love the use of solar on the facade. I think we will be seeing allot more of this. Especially on tall buildings. Hopefully we will hear more about it as it moves forward. Grove central on us1used the panel system to sell it to the UDRB .. when it was announced but none of it got built.

Yan Jammer
1 day ago

20,000 sq ft is no where near the entire area of the western facade.

Transit Rider
1 day ago

Cool building, but don’t love that it’s basically adjacent to a Metromover with no ground floor retail. This end of Brickell could use some more pedestrian activation.

Anon
1 day ago

The project is being developed for multimillionaire condo buyers, not hipsters coming off their free Metromover ride who don’t have money for fare or a car but do for a $15 cafe every morning.

Anonymous
10 hours ago

There’s a distorted, outdated view here ⬆️ Wealthy residents in Brickell use the MetroMover and drive as well, 💡 while those with fewer resources often have no choice but to drive. 😢

Plus, “hipster” feels like a term from a decade ago—it’s no longer relevant, like this man’s toxic, bias opinion.

Anon
2 hours ago

^^This is the viewpoint of someone who still has access to a school cafeteria. Real world—the wealthy don’t care about the beercan shortbus. The hipsters/hippys/beatnicks/whatever is popular now, they do want that free ride to nowhere.

Anonymous
1 day ago

Nothing like dining outside along a street dwarfed by a Metromover flyover, with a shortbus squeaking by every several minutes.

Anonymous
22 hours ago

At times, I actually prefer dining outside by the Underline rather than by the water. I enjoy people-watching and watching the trains go by, plus the structure’s open, airy, monolithic arches weave through the city, creating a vibrant atmosphere—unlike the darker, rusty ones in NYC. It feels both tranquil and exciting, being in the vibrant downtown part of Miami in Brickell.

Anon
2 hours ago

Why do you like “people-watching”? Voyeurism is creepy.

Anonymous
10 hours ago

It’s practically on the edge of Brickell, where the city’s vibrancy starts to taper off. While retail may not be essential, it would certainly add value to the area.

Pay millions to stare at an office window
1 day ago

The new Banco de Santander building is going to block most water views from this building.

Conrad
1 day ago

And then what?

Anonymous
1 day ago

…and this is the city, not Collins Avenue.

Anon
22 hours ago

^^so what? Brickell buyers value water views too

Anonymous
22 hours ago

Not over accessibility to central Brickell, in my experience.

Anonymous
22 hours ago

This is a different anonymous, but I chose convenience in Brickell over waterfront.

Anon
21 hours ago

^^the folks that can pay for waterfront generally do. Prices reflect this reality. Whether you choose differently (assuming you could afford the markup) is irrelevant, the market majority chooses water views.

Angie
10 hours ago

^^Prices vary based on factors like building age, elevation, metro access, and weather exposure. Waterfront views offer a great morning scene, but at night, the view vanishes, and the city’s lights, architecture, and energy become the main attraction.

Unlike in less developed parts of Florida, Miami buyers consider more than just waterfront views; some prefer to pay a premium to be at the heart of the city rather than on its outskirts.

Anon
2 hours ago

wrong

Angie
10 hours ago

In Central Brickell, prices tend to be higher than in nearby waterfront areas like Brickell Key, which has more affordable options, given its further from the center.

Anon
2 hours ago

^^nope

anon
23 hours ago

at least it’s a beautiful building. would be a welcomed addition to brickell in a sea of plain glass buildings

Anonymous
22 hours ago

I really like the tower from the side. Not so much from the front. The podium is brutal. And that is that I normally don’t care too . much about them

AAA
1 day ago

The podium is horrible…

Cover the podiums
1 day ago

Don’t even get me started

Anonymous
1 day ago

Still better than any mural you see on an ARQ building.

Mili
1 day ago

Why does it have to be a few feet shorter than the monstrous underwhelming panorama tower?

Yan Jammer
1 hour ago

The building is actually taller than panorama tower. Panorama Tower is 830 ft, not 868. 868 is an inflated height that includes the site elevation and a small radio tower at the top. The actual height of PT is between 820 and 840 ft above ground. It’s below 850.

This tower is 861 above ground, or almost 870 above sea level, since it’s near the rock ridge or Brickell hill.

Anonymous
1 day ago

These podiums will keep the street level of miami not active. So much for walkability.

Cover the podiums
1 day ago

Yep

Jeremey Howlett
1 hour ago

Looks great, even the podium, i love the stark design, will look even better in person. With all these new luxury buildings, maybe someone should contact Disney and have them design a monorail system throughout downtown Miami that would better match the new urbanization of miami. Every time I see the metrover rolling across those hideous tracks with the little bus wheels, I can’t help but think about how little thought was put into design and placement of the system and all of its mechanicals.

Lars
1 day ago

Brickell finally getting more, much-needed transit-orientated development. Must be the reason for being so overpriced.

Anon
1 day ago

like someone dropping millions, or 10s of millions, G A F about Metromover

Anonymous
22 hours ago

I wouldn’t drop millions UNLESS it was by the metro mover. Avoiding traffic via an exclusive single-car train at your footsteps is a luxury now in Miami.

Anon
22 hours ago

^^you got millions to drop on a unit? Yeah thought so. See the Bentley Continental GT conv. in the 1st rendering? THAT is how these buyers get around. Metromover is for plebes.

Conrad
20 hours ago

An Escalade and driver that pulls up to your Porte Chochere is far preferable to walking the stairs (broken escalator) to the urine scented MetroMover platform to sit with 25 people as you avoid the condensation dripping from the faulty Metromover A/C Unit in my formerly humble opinion.

When your ride is tight, and your captains chair is fine leather, you do not have to care about traffic.

Enjoy the Ride
9 hours ago

If someone prefers taking chances driving on these traffic-riddled, poorly marked roads with someone who doesn’t know how to drive, be my guest. Doesn’t matter what logo is on the car, if you’re late in traffic. We’ll take the MetroMover instead, arrive sooner, and enjoy the ride a lot more.

Anon
2 hours ago

Obviously you’ve rarely if ever used Metromover. It’s broken down around 10% of the times I’ve ridden it. However, it is lots of fun watching the repairman walk the elevated electrified rail system to get to the marooned car while you stand (not sit) sweltering in a beer can with 3 crackheads.