In the architecture world, apparently you aren't anyone until you've designed a parking garage in Miami Beach. Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, and Arquitectonica have all designed structures to house visitors' vehicles. Now the city has announced it has commissioned another star architect, Zaha Hadid, to design its next one.
The new garage will be in the area of Collins Park, near the Miami City Ballet, Bass Museum, and public library.
Hadid is an Iraqi-British architect who become the first woman to receive the famed Pritzker Architecture Prize and last year was named to the Time 100. Her design for the aquatics center to be used in London's 2012 Olympics was recently completed. She also designed the MAXXI museum in Rome, the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, and numerous projects for companies such as BMW and Chanel.
"This is a great opportunity for the City of Miami Beach to expand its commitment to leading-edge architectural design," Mayor Matti Bower said in a statement. "Even our parking garages are more than a group of parking spaces. Some have become destinations within themselves and have attained individual iconic status. Every building can be a work of art. We are pleased to work with Ms. Hadid and we are delighted with her contemporary and brilliant design for our newest parking garage."
No word on when the city and Hadid expect to begin construction on the project.
Despite the city's reputation for attracting star parking-garage designers, people who use valet will still snicker at you for parking your car by the hour.
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