MiMo District Infill
Miami, Florida
The MiMo (Miami Modern) district is a recent designated historic district - once the main north entrance into the "Magic City," containing buildings dating back to the 1950's.
The following are a building height study to encourage 3-4 story infill buildings in the gaps of the existing contributing urban buildings.
 The first study area was a two block street elevation containing the famous "Coppertone Girl" sign, along with several other contributing buildings. Although a popular area with the Vagabond Hotel located across the street, there are empty lots, or "missing teeth," and non-contributing buildings, which both account for the decline of business and local interest. With just a few infill buildings of a new restaurant with residential above, hotel addition, and parking garage; the blocks come back to life while still keeping within the context.  Another study area was looked at closely in the southern end of the district, encompassing the new mixed-use Balans building. A similar problem to the northern building height study was found with deep setbacks from Biscayne Boulevard, gaps between buildings, and non-contributing buildings. While none of the buildings were designated as historic and worth preserving, several buildings have become recognized and important to the locals. A couple of buildings, a new mixed-use building and a parking garage, were added to illustrate the importance of urban buildings on a significant street, while stepping down in reverence to the abutting residential neighborhoods. |