The central lawn will accommodate large event structures and was added at the request of Design Miami which has utilized half of the parking lot since 2010 during Art Basel.
Project manager Maria Hernandez clued us in on the concrete “cubes” that are now slightly visible above ground. “These are special footings, 112 of them, that have been designed and installed so Design Miami can hook up their tent to them and make it less disruptive to the Park during installation of their show,” Hernandez wrote in an email. “Each one of the footings will have a bolted pedestal that ends at a different height to follow the slope of the site. You will never see these, as they will be just slightly underground, and covered by soil and sod once Design Miami leaves the site.”
The Park design was adapted to accommodate Design Miami’s request to include the footings as part of the negotiation for a long-term agreement. The agreement that was approved by City Commissioners will keep the show in Miami Beach through 2023 with an option to renew for an additional five years through 2028.
Design Miami, like Art Basel, has two shows per year, one in Basel in June and Design Miami in December. It is a limited-edition marketplace for museum-quality furniture, lighting, and objects d’art.
A referendum is expected in November to officially name the park as Pride Park.
Renderings: West 8 Landscape Architects
