Allan Shulman to design latest outpost of British hotel group
Designs have been unveiled of plans for Soho Beach House in Miami, the second Stateside project by Nick Jones, creator of Babington House, Soho House New York and the Electric Cinema on London's Portobello Road.
The project will see the redevelopment of Miami's Art Deco Sovereign Hotel into a luxury apart-hotel. Architect Allan T. Shulman is in charge of the renovation of the hotel itself as well as the construction of a new 15-storey tower which will house the apartments. The building will be screened with wrapping balconies and perforated concrete panels.
"Miami is a great city," says Jones. "It's hot all year round, it's a party city, it is culturally interesting. It has a real vibe. People are investing huge amounts in Miami, it's a hub to the Caribbean and from the UK it's cheap and easy to get to. It is also the place where New Yorkers go to get out of town."
The development is located in 'Mid Beach,' an area Jones wants to put on the map with a more exclusive image than nearby South Beach.
Many of the 74 bedrooms, ranging from 420ft2 to 3,000ft2 in size, will have ocean views. There will also be a large club area with restaurants and bars. Club amenities include the trademark Cowshed Spa, swimming pools, and retail.
The interiors have been designed by Ilse Crawford, designer of both Babington House and Soho House New York, who promises a "lush, glamorous feel." Other plans include 10ft revolving beds which can be rotated to face either the TV or the ocean view windows.
Architect Allan T. Shulman has numerous other hotels at or near completion, and more under development, throughout Miami.
The Anglers Resort is currently under construction with completion expected in early 2007. Building work is also beginning on Shulman's design for The Vagabond Motel & Spa in Miami, the first renovation on Biscayne Boulevard's famous 'Motel Row'. Designs are also being completed on the Savoy-Arlington Hotel, and the Fairwind Hotel, both scheduled for completion in 2008.
"I look for a productive way of layering old and new," says Shulman. "This requires synthesizing those details that make the original timeless with the expectations of a modern clientele."
Shulman adds that his current projects present interesting challenges since they are larger, and often more complex than his earlier projects. His design for the Fairwind Hotel, for example, encompasses 56,000 ft2 of restored, retrofitted and new structures.
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