April 26, 2018
When Miami was bracing for Hurricane Irma last September, Gil Dezer, developer of the Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles Beach, offered the city’s superrich a refuge for their supercars. Dezer offered to allow some of the city’s collection of Maseratis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis to weather the storm inside the secure confines of the Porsche Design Tower, complete with patented car elevator. “It’s really the safest place for billionaires to hold their toys when this kind of thing happens,” Dezer said at the time.
Porsche Design Tower is part of an automotive-themed tower trend in Miami combining the love of high-end cars and high-end real estate. This trend began in South Florida in 2015, when Pininfarina was commissioned by developers to bring a “sports-car-friendly” feel to 1100 Millecento in Brickell, Miami. The Italian firm, with a portfolio containing design work for the likes of Ferrari and Maserati, created Ferrari-red elevator lobbies and hung large supercar photos in the building’s public spaces.
The latest such auto-themed building coming soon to the Miami skyline is the Aston Martin Residences at 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way. The developer, German Coto’s G&G Business Developments, chose a more understated homage to James Bond’s preferred supercar. The building is utilizing materials like carbon fiber and leather accents in place of wood. Units at Aston Martin Residences range from $700K to $50 Million.
Reflecting iconic high-end brands in in luxury towers is not an idea unique to the automotive industry. Dezer is working on a set of branded condos “with Giorgio Armani and his team,” referring to Residences by Armani/Casa, which opened its sales gallery in 2016. There is also the 59-floor Rolex Tower in Dubai, and the Baccarat Hotel, inspired by the French fine crystal label in New York.
Source: The Real Deal
