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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj

The Icon (and Iconoclast)

With her first residential building in the U.S., architect Zaha Hadid's proposed tower vies to reshape Miami's skyline

By ROBBIE WHELAN

Downtown Miami isn't known for bold architecture, but a new condo tower proposed for Biscayne Boulevard could change that. Architect Zaha Hadid's 60-story luxury condo building makes a strong statement: The city's skyline is ready for daring design.

"I really love Miami, but I don't think the architecture matches the city," Ms. Hadid said in an interview Wednesday. "It's a bit too commercial."

If built, the tower—called One Thousand Museum—would be Ms. Hadid's first residential building in the U.S. While developers Louis Birdman and Gregg Covin are confident about Miami's luxury market, they must still complete the financing of the $300 million project before work can begin.

Ms. Hadid's work is known for challenging, sculptural forms that are often sternly futuristic—and One Thousand Museum is no different. The Iraqi-born, London-based architect designed a 706-foot skyscraper with a concrete "exoskeleton" support structure that climbs from the podium to the top floor. Because it's Miami, the building has to have balconies, but Ms. Hadid has cleverly obscured these, for the most part, by setting them back behind the building's protruding bones.

"We wanted to avoid that generic, modernist typology," Ms. Hadid said. "We were interested in the idea of the tall building, and how it lands on the ground, how the structure is manifested."

Pricing is also in the upper echelon of Miami's luxury market. A duplex penthouse unit could be priced between $30 million to $50 million, the developers say. Other units will range from half a floor (about 4,500 square feet) to a full floor (about 9,900) and be priced from $4 million to more than $15 million, or a range of about $900 to $1,400 per square foot. The average price per square foot for condos under construction is about $1,000 to $1,250 for oceanfront units in Miami Beach, according to Condo Vultures. Downtown, new construction is typically priced at between $450 to $500 per square foot.

Most new construction buildings in downtown Miami, however, aren't ultraluxury. "Zaha's building is an anomaly. No developer has tried to achieve this in downtown," Mr. Zalewski said.