When 11 11 Lincoln Road debuted in 2008, the striking open-air design instantly transformed Miami. Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron drew inspiration from Miami’s rich history of tropical modernism and the vibrant urban experience on Lincoln Road Mall to reimagine the 1969 SunTrust Bank building as a “house of cards” with expansive knife-edged floor plates and soaring wedge-shaped buttresses slicing each level. The concrete monolith represented a new landscape for living, by mixing a dynamic parking structure with retail and a 5,200-square-foot penthouse hovering seven stories above South Beach. It was one of the firm’s only residential projects — and one of its most radical architectural works yet. It was widely featured in architectural design magazines and extensively covered in the February 2012 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. Developer Robert Wennett said at the time: “Jacques Herzog called this a building that’s all muscle, without clothes — like Miami Beach, with everyone walking around with muscle bodies and no clothes on.”
Herzog’s words provide a striking description of living at 11 11 Skyhouse — which recently hit the market for $34 million and is represented by Jill Eber and Jill Hertzberg who are part of The Jills®. Set on the building’s top-floor mezzanine, the iconic residence weaves together the sanctuary of private shelter with open-air gallery spaces that can be used for parties, photo and film shoots, fashion shows, concerts and other social functions — all set against the cinema of 360-degree views.
“This residence in the sky is unlike anything buyers have ever seen before,” said Hertzberg. “Although this home is situated at the entrance to the famous Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, it is an oasis of serenity, beauty, art and natural light.”
Added Eber: “Spectacular views take in the entire city and out to the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to mesmerizing sunrises and sunsets.”
Hidden underneath the top slab and cut into the building’s volume lies a masterfully conceived penthouse. The interiors — punctuated by clean lines, skylights and 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and anchored by an expansive great room — pay homage to 1950s Brazilian modernism. Each room has been carefully arranged to provide cross ventilation, taking full advantage of Miami’s tropical climate, sea breezes and bright light. Living spaces spill out to terraces and courtyards screened by vines from the garden, amplifying partner and lead designer Christine Binswanger’s vision: “There is a certain thrill to the idea of a house in an unexpected place.”
Herzog & de Meuron curated and designed many details inside the penthouse, right down to the door handles and custom cabinetry. Sophisticated touches, such as the solid white oak flooring throughout, solid white oak ceilings, PEETZ mahogany sliding glass doors, Starphire ultra clear glass, modernist furnishings and custom drapery by Jakob Schlapfer, speak to the level from which Herzog & de Meuron dictated design. What’s behind the walls is just as important as what’s beyond them. Level 5 drywall was used throughout. All building systems — including a multi-zone high velocity HVAC — have been ingeniously concealed in the walls, with sleek reveals in the ceiling.
In the kitchen, Herzog & de Meuron’s custom cabinetry complement Gaggenau and Miele appliances, a breakfast room and private service quarters with separate entrance. In the four baths, statuary white marble full slab bathroom floors mix with bespoke solid white statuary marble solid sinks and Dornbracht fixtures. The library offers a place for reading or quiet contemplation, with white oak cabinetry and built-ins. A well-executed built-in bar holds the promise of sophisticated entertaining. Seamless living is a touch away with a Lutron system, which controls the Lite Lab art lighting system throughout house, and a state-of-the-art “smart home” system that controls sound and A/V.
A spirit of openness infuses the entire residence. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame panoramas of the city. Rather than creating long hallways, Herzog & de Meuron conceived of walls that double as doors leading to a private master suite with a walk-in closet reminiscent of the high-end boutiques in Bal Harbour. Eber calls the entire residence “a New York-like atmosphere.”
Miami’s influence permeates the lush gardens designed by renowned landscape designer Raymond Jungles. Breathtaking vantage points unite with various outdoor entertaining spaces, a custom outdoor kitchen with Viking appliances, a large swimming pool and a canopy of indigenous trees and plants.
The result is an Edenic tropical garden towering above the city. Jungles has called this concept an “urban glade,” giving nature an opportunity to “invade” the city and take back what was once its own. As a protégé of Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, Jungles also designed the outdoor floor, lined with over 1.6 million Piedra Portuguesa stones, intricately laid by hand. The organic swirling pattern recalls the modernist boardwalk at Copacabana Beach, conceived by Marx himself. Rich mahogany details and low-maintenance teak mix with concrete slabs, providing yet another connection between nature and city.
11 11 Skyhouse is one of the most iconic residences to ever grace the Miami skyline. It seduces, challenges and inspires people with a bright new way of living on Lincoln Road.
Hertzberg believes it is ideal for the buyer “who enjoys displaying art and/or living in a quiet haven within urban splendor,” or as Eber noted, “who wants to live right in the heart of one of the most exciting cities in the world, and desires something unlike anything else, with ultimate luxury.”
