JUN 14, 2018 @ 07:01 PM 269 Okan Tower Will Redefine Downtown Miami As Florida's Tallest Skyscraper Okan Tower features an undulating façade shaped like a tulip.
Miami is a booming international city. Soon, it will be blooming too. Okan Tower, a 70-story flower-shaped architectural wonder will anchor the city s surging skyline, ultimately unfolding as the tallest skyscraper in Florida. When completed, the versatile mix-used tower will soar 890 feet over downtown Miami (eclipsing the 868-foot-tall Panorama Tower), comprising a 294room branded Hilton Hotel, 236 condo-hotel units, 149 condo residences, office space, and retail. The $300 million project will be developed and self-funded by billionaire Turkish real estate mogul Bekir Okan s company, Okan Group Turkey s first major real estate investment in Miami. Okan Tower will include a Hilton Hotel, condo hotel units, condominiums, office space and retail Designed by Behar Font & Partners, Okan Tower s striking curved glass façade is inspired by the silhouette of a tulip (Turkey s official flower) and it s construction is expected to reach full bloom in three to four years. Located near Miami s financial district and the recently opened Brightline transit station, the modern skyscraper will redefine downtown like other towers sprouting up along the skyline One Thousand Museum (Zaha Hadid), Panorama Tower (Moshe Cosicher), The Towers (Foster + Partners) and One Bayfront Plaza (Kohn Pederson Fox) included. Okan Tower's groundbreaking is scheduled for this fall.
Okan Tower s unique façade will become a new landmark in Miami s skyline, says Kasim Badak, CEO of Okan Group U.S. Beyond its eye-catching, tulipinspired design, the tower will serve as a beacon, seen from more than 35 miles away. A specialty glass acts as a mirror reflecting natural light during the day, while the white exterior color and built-in lighting will illuminate Okan Tower s silhouette in the evening. It s instrumental in cementing Miami s status as a global city, taking foreign investment to new heights in the area. Figure 1The 70th floor sky pool with panoramic Miami views. Okan Tower recently launched sales in Miami (the gateway to Latin America), appealing to international buyers in the USA, Latin America, Europe, and Asia including Istanbul where a duplicate condo sales center touts the future property. ONE Sotheby s International Realty is handling sales. Executing an undulating tulip skyscraper is no small feat. An architectural flower concept is one thing, a truly functional tulip tower is another. The tulip design will beautify the cityscape but it must not wilt under the Miami heat. The design, intended to have a transformative effect on the thriving sunny metropolis, required practical testing of its uniquely Miami design. It was immensely gratifying to be able to merge my firm s passion, artistry and skill into something unique and truly singular, says Robert Behar, co-founder of Behar Font & Partners. The intent was to create a distinct architectural image
with a symbolic Turkish influence that would be forever associated with Miami and become an iconic and instantly recognizable addition to the city s skyline. Okan Tower will be Florida's tallest tower. By carving out the square mass at the top of the building into a more organic form, we minimized the building s reaction to the high wind pressures typically found toward the top of buildings of this height, he adds. We also made sure to elevate the lobby to a height that minimizes any potential impact of sea level rise, thus ensuring the building s longevity and viability for decades to come. The building will showcase world-class amenities, lush landscaping, high-speed elevators, a Turkish Hammam spa, a 67th floor traditional Turkish restaurant, and a 70th floor sky pool with panoramic views. The 12th-floor amenity level will feature a private movie theater, an owner-only wine room and cigar lounge, a chef s kitchen-equipped event space, fitness center, a staffed kids club, and an outdoor lounge with day cabanas and pool bar. The 27th floor houses another pool. Condo residents will also have access to hotel amenities such as in-home private dining, dry cleaning, personal trainers, etc. Turkish design firm, Tunca Architecture is tasked with building the authentic Hammam spa, a central custom in Turkish culture. The relaxing space will integrate natural stone elements (e.g. marble), wood and a light turquoise color palette. Tunca Architecture will also design the sky pool.
Okan Tower, which illuminates at night, will appeal to international buyers Four exclusive duplex penthouses will feature expansive living spaces (from 1,873 square feet to more than 2,142 square feet), smart home technology, high-end Wolf and Subzero appliances, and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize sweeping Miami vistas. Condo-hotel units will be delivered turn-key within studios, and one and two bedrooms, from 447 to 1,245 square feet. Residential options include condominiums ranging from one-to-three bedrooms (plus a den) with floor plans from 698 square feet to more than 2,071 square feet. Customizable features are also available. Floors 31 to 35 will house more than 64,000 square feet of Class A office space for prospective multinational corporations. The hotel, operated by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, will be located on floors 11 to 30, with hotel amenities (pool, spa, sky lobby and meeting rooms) on floors 27 to 30. The condo-hotel section will be on floors 36 to 50. The integration of three distinct components a hotel, residential and commercial office space on a very small footprint is indeed something that we are very proud of being able to accomplish, says Behar. Typically, in a project of this magnitude, you have a much bigger space to work with. Combining all three of those components in one building is not commonly done, but we were able to achieve it by utilizing incredibly smart layouts and floorplans. Okan Tower is designed as downtown's future shiny new object, an architectural symbol of Miami's status as a global city. Unique Visitors per Month: 29,759,863 https://www.forbes.com/sites/keithflamer/2018/06/14/okan-tower-will-redefine-downtown-miamias-floridas-tallest-skyscraper/#4491047d4dd9