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
7 days ago

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

Bob Art Guy
7 days ago

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

Anonymous
7 days ago

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

Anonymous
7 days ago

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

Anonymous
7 days ago

Impressed with Architectonica on this one.

Anon
7 days ago

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

William I Am
7 days 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
7 days ago

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

John Appleseed
6 days ago

It’s the ‘backbone’ of the core. Think of the spine of the building.

Pay millions to stare at an office window
7 days ago

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

Conrad
7 days ago

And then what?

Anonymous
7 days ago

…and this is the city, not Collins Avenue.

Anon
7 days ago

^^so what? Brickell buyers value water views too

Anonymous
7 days ago

Not over accessibility to central Brickell, in my experience.

Anonymous
7 days ago

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

Anon
7 days 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
6 days 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
6 days ago

wrong

Angie
6 days 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
6 days ago

^^nope

JJ Evans
5 days ago

SLS Lux is on SW 8th St and Miami Avenue. Not on the waterfront.
4 Ambassadors is on SW 8th Street and BB Drive. On the waterfront.

I promise you, the prices are far higher in SLS Lux for reasons that are far more important than being on the waterfront.

Florida
5 days ago

^^The 4 Ambassadors is a 60 year old bldg with small apartments. I promise you, put a SLS Lux clone at the 4 Ambassadors site and it would sell for FAR more than the one at Mia Ave.

anon
7 days ago

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

John Appleseed
6 days ago

its actually positioned more north and the building siting inline with 14th terrace still maintains most of the view corridor

TMK
7 days 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
7 days ago

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

SW30
7 days 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
7 days ago

Aston Martin is downtown.

Conrad
7 days ago

Aston Martin is in the Central Business District.

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

To Tell The T
6 days ago

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

John Appleseed
6 days ago

Construction I’ve been told is starting immediately. Not just a symbolic ‘event’ – its full speed ahead.

AAA
7 days ago

The podium is horrible…

Cover the podiums
7 days ago

Don’t even get me started

Anonymous
7 days ago

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

Mili
7 days ago

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

Yan Jammer
6 days 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.

Fetisha
6 days ago

Thank you for clarifying it. I keep reading it’s 860 something feet everywhere . so nice to know the truth. I appreciate your comment.

Yan Jammer
5 days ago

Panorama Tower is huge and boxy and square to 830′ vs this building being tapered, so it still may not stand out very well. There’s a few 800-900 ft buildings being built around Miami right now with good designs like this and okan that one wonders why not go for the highest height allowed instead of being just short.

Anonymous
7 days 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

Anonymous
7 days ago

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

Cover the podiums
7 days ago

Yep

Yan Jammer
6 days ago

Very blank podium looks like a block of clay.

Transit Rider
7 days 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
7 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
7 days ago

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

Anonymous
7 days 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
6 days ago

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

Anonymous
6 days 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.

Jeremey Howlett
6 days 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
7 days ago

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

Anon
7 days ago

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

Anonymous
7 days 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
7 days 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
7 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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.