Boom or Bust: Miami

UPDATE: Onyx2 lot, plans, and permits are for sale. The project is at a halt.

This 543 ft. cylindrical tower is nice to imagine looking at. One has to imagine because it currently doesn’t exist. Regardless, Onyx2’s design is visually stunning and downright well situated; in a neighborhood that it is helping define—the Edgewater area of Uptown. I must say that the ceilings are high, the glass is aplenty, and the shape is pleasant to the eye. With 49 floors, it is an important addition to the skyline. This building may have the significance that the Santa Maria had for Brickell, but in Uptown. Its aesthetic and material standards are high. Bermello, Ajamil, & Partners did an incredible job designing the building’s front. Yes, I said front; the side that faces the bay.

The devil’s advocate says: the rear side of the building, which faces the interior, resembles a vertical concrete highway. This was obviously designed to make it more cost effective to the developer, but does all the concrete have to be concentrated so obviously in the rear? It does not look good. It even blocks the view of the building’s crown. There is just a clear imbalance between the two sides of the building not just in material but in shape. One side is flat and plain with tons of concrete. The other side is cylindrical, unconventional, and glassy. Is it meant to contrast so greatly? Will it work? That is, for who? The residents of the building certainly won’t mind, but everyone in the interior will probably mind. The problem is that Onyx2 is 543 feet tall and will be seen from just about everywhere in Edgewater.

Putting the devil’s advocate argument aside, the building is a great leap forward for Miami and Uptown. I mean that through the standpoints of urban neighborhood development, city architecture, and the local economy. The building, along with several other key Edgewater projects, is serving as a catalyst for future Edgewater development progress. From the bay’s vantage point, the building will be among the most iconic and photogenic, and the city’s tax coffers will no doubt benefit from the tax revenues.

The floor plans are very well laid out. All units have bay views. The views are near panoramic; one of the benefits of the cylindrical design. The building’s amenities are various and above average for luxury condos.

Building amenities: Recreational deck, electronic garage access, two story lobby, valet parking high-speed wiring, wine cellar, 32 seat movie theatre, meeting room, Direct TV, fitness center, steam, sauna, and massage rooms, and 24 hour security and concierge service