Continental Garage

The Continental Hotel Garage is a four-story parking structure in Miami Beach situated above a two-story retail space, adjacent to the Hampton Miami Beach Continental hotel and steps away from the beach.

Poma was responsible for fabricating the custom architectural metal fins which adorn the skin of the parking facade meeting the design intent of the design architect. The project was originally intended to be a kinetic facade but ultimately devolved to a static facade due to long term maintenance concerns to be expected in a coastal environment. The aluminum blades panels are installed at specific angles to create a flowing visual effect, that changes by viewing angle, while allowing for ample airflow to passively ventilate the parking structure. In all, there are 18 different configurations waving back-and-forth to create the facade design. The two-tone aluminum panels are coated in a super-durable coating for protection against the elements.

The design intention was to create a value-engineered alternative to a kinetic façade meant to give the perception of a continually changing façade as passersby traverse across it. To accomplish this, two-tone painted (blue and silver) bent metal plates in 18 different configurations were affixed to the substructure in a "color by numbers" scheme created by the AOR. The design reached an openness of 95% open which meant that no additional ventilation was required.

Key Takeaways

• The perception of color shift of a single-color dependent on viewing angle.
• The dynamic appearance of the static façade as one traverses from side to another.

The building was LEED Certified: Gold, and includes 112 stall parking spaces with 24/hour valet service and 12 spaces solely dedicated to retail customers.