Jade Signature Garden

Herzog & de Meuron designed a 57-story concrete tower that “evokes the relationship to nature and the environment that has long made Miami such a unique destination.” Jungles had previously worked with the talented architectural team on the Sky Garden, 1111 Lincoln Road, and 1111 Lincoln Road Extension. They insisted that he work with them to essentially design a tall tower as if it were growing out of the landscape—though 90% of the garden needed to be built on top of structure. Jungles accepted, knowing that they both shared similar aesthetic values. As a result, the relationship with nature, the environment, and the surroundings are at the core of this 2.5-acre project—beach on one side and forest on the other.

Unlike many of the neighboring residential buildings, Jade Signature’s resident parking is located underground rather than housed in a podium at the base, allowing residents to access the swimming pool and beach from the same level. For Jungles, this gave him great joy to conceptualize a seamless garden experience from street to shore and to make it look like it was all on natural earth.

A ribbon-like concrete driveway takes cars from Collins Avenue up to the drop-off entrance on the west side. Concrete is both native to Miami’s construction industry and integral to the tropical modernism that is part of Miami’s architectural heritage. Jungles thought it fitting to procure a 60-foot specimen kapok tree to grow up through the tree well of the circular ramp. It was craned into the space and quickly flushed its leaves without skipping a beat. The kapok’s buttress roots and branching habit provide sculptural punctuation visible from all heights and angles.

The tower’s parallelogram footprint maximizes the pool and beach exposure to the sun and allows the southern sun to have an extended presence on the beachside landscape. A colorful range of botanically rich native coastal vegetation gives the Dune Garden a relaxed, distinctly Floridian character. Sea grape, sculptural buttonwoods, and seven-year apple, along with swaying coconut and sabal palms create pleasant pockets of shade, while natural grasses and carpets of indigenous wildflowers encircle the dune landscape. Canopies of mature trees provide opportunities for quiet moments of relaxation, and on the leeward side, shelter for residents and passersby equally.

The Pool Garden is a natural extension of the Dune Garden. The gentle lines and organic forms of the lagoon pool and planting areas meld with the beach. Whether lounging in a hammock or from cleverly positioned, comfortable furniture, a variety of garden experiences and great views abound.

Countless reflections of the stunning garden, ocean, and architecture play across the generous surface of the lagoon pool. The lap pool zone delivers views into the Leeward Garden from a more intimate, sunny vantage point while offering ample opportunities for open-air exercise. The Leeward Garden, sheltered by the architecture, is a verdant oasis in the town of Sunny Isles.

The volumes created by canopy trees are juxtaposed with the staggered heights of coconut, sabal, and date palms, creating a living, ever-changing work of art. Florida silver palms, native lignum vitae, green, and key thatch palms comprise the understory layer of the garden adding depth and texture to this composition. While in unity with its urban context, the garden is distinctly lush and appears to be preexistent, as if it had always been there. It will be enjoyed by generations to come.