An exciting announcement from Swire Properties reveals the first details of One Island Drive, a project that combines residential and hospitality services in a tranquil island environment near Miami’s bustling downtown. With its enviable waterfront location, One Island Drive is set to take a premier position in Swire Properties’ renowned portfolio and establish itself as a standout feature of Miami’s skyline.
Situated at the southernmost point of Brickell Key, within the exclusive island community Swire Properties has carefully curated for over 40 years, One Island Drive is set to become a tranquil oasis, showcasing two architecturally extraordinary towers that create a compelling dialogue. Each tower displays a unique architectural language, offering distinct designs that stand apart from the typical Miami skyline while simultaneously complementing one another.
The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami at One Island Drive | Hero. Credit: Binyan Studios.
The first tower, rising majestically over 800 feet and housing ‘The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami,’ showcases the boldness of deconstructivist architecture. With an exterior featuring multiple forms of subtle curves, the tower takes on an intriguingly complex aesthetic. Its textured shell superstructure is an architectural spectacle, with its exposed extensive columns and slabs giving rise to a unique curvilinear silhouette. The tower culminates with an undulated and punctuated skeletal crown, adding to its striking visual impact on the skyline. The residences comprise an exclusive collection of 220 two-to-four-bedroom private homes boasting generous floorplans of up to 4,700 square feet, with the crown jewel being two extraordinary duplex penthouses, each sprawling over 6,000 square feet.
Meanwhile, the second tower, standing at approximately 400 feet, harmoniously complements the first with a more toned-down design language. Albeit more uniform and flushed with the structural shell, it boasts its unique charm. Housing the next iconic North American Mandarin Oriental hotel, this tower sports a distinctive sloping crown, creating a contrasting silhouette against the Miami skyline. It will host 151 guest rooms alongside 61 private residences and 28 hotel residences, each offering a taste of refined elegance.
In both towers, the glass exterior is intentionally recessed from the shell, with bands of glass running along the contiguous curvilinear balconies that elegantly wrap around the buildings. This design nuance lends a layer of visual intrigue while emphasizing the distinctive texture and overall aesthetic. This considered approach to design encapsulates Swire Properties’ commitment to innovative architecture, fostering a cohesive yet undeniably distinctive vision for One Island Drive.
The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami at One Island Drive | Pool. Credit: Binyan Studios.
“Swire Properties has been headquartered in Miami for over 40 years, and in that time, we are proud to have transformed Brickell Key into one of the most sought-after locations in the city. With One Island Drive, we have taken the last prime waterfront site and created an island sanctuary that will be a destination for connoisseurs of luxurious design, intuitive service, and meticulous craftsmanship. Destined to become Miami’s most coveted condominium address, One Island Drive pairs intricately designed interiors with expansive private outdoor spaces that offer unmatched views of Biscayne Bay and the glittering skyline. With all the glamour and excitement of Miami, including convenient access to the city, One Island Drive offers the ultimate privacy for residents and guests. Surrounded by natural beauty, sparkling waters, and majestic vistas, there is no other location in Miami that provides what we are creating at One Island Drive,” said Henry Bott, President of Swire Properties Inc.
Offering panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, each tower will be connected by an expansive, resort-style podium with over 100,000 square feet of unrivaled amenities, including a collection of multi-tiered, landscaped infinity swimming pools blurring the lines between land and sea, private cabanas, executive work lounges, private dining rooms with chef kitchens, world-class restaurants, a signature spa, and state-of-the-art health and wellness facilities. Envisaged as a tropical Eden, the abundance of greenery throughout the development will create a natural canopy of color and texture and feature an extension to the beloved Brickell Key Baywalk.
The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami at One Island Drive | Arrival. Credit: Binyan Studios.
One Island Drive will be a beacon of understated luxury on the waterfront, and a first-of-its-kind collaboration brought to life by an award-winning global design team, each at the forefront of their respective fields. Kohn Pederson Fox Associates (KPF) will envision the bold exterior architecture that will redefine the skyline; Parisian designer Tristan Auer will bring his rich aesthetic vision to The Residences’ interiors; AD 100 and Elle Décor A-List Parisian designer Laura Gonzalez will create the hotel interiors; and renowned Thai firm Shma will lead the landscape architecture. This represents the first new development commission for Auer, Gonzalez, and Shma in the United States.
“We are delighted to carry on our longstanding relationship with Swire Properties as we embark on our second iteration of outstanding hospitality within Miami,” said James Riley, CEO Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “Twenty-three years ago, Swire and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group joined forces to open Mandarin Oriental, Miami, forever elevating the level of hospitality in the destination. With One Island Drive we will do it again, offering residents and hotel guests the highest level of service, accommodation, and luxury amenities, all of which are synonymous with the Mandarin Oriental brand.”
One Island Drive will be the first residential property built on Brickell Key in the past 15 years and represents the final opportunity to own a new residence on the island. Pricing is to start from $3,500,000 when sales launch in late 2023.
Swire Properties has played a leading role in developing the neighborhood of Brickell and has created a new center of gravity in Miami with the development of the $1 billion, 4.9 million square feet, mixed-use development, Brickell City Centre, located across the causeway from One Island Drive.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
I love both designs but the shorter building’s crown is absolutely lovely
Why would the demo a perfectly good hotel building that is 23 years old and built to 5 star standards just to build another hotel in the same site for the same operator? Not very green?
Greed, plain and simple, and eliminating a Greenspan park used by many residents! 🙄
@Foster Frable – I assume you haven’t been in that Mandarin Oriental before. It is absolutely not 5 star standard. It’s a dated building and it shows in all areas. I’ve stayed here multiple and I think the hotel is fine but it’s certainly not a top tier MO in any way other than service.
It is definitely NOT environmentally friendly to demo 23 year old buildings. Ever.