Puerto Rican Texture

Even though it has not been very cold this winter, my mind is always someplace warm. In this case Puerto Rico, a place I last visited in 2010. The textures in and around Castillo de San Cristóbal, the old Spanish fort (completed in 1783) that is part of San Juan, have never left my mind.

Take a look:

1111 Lincoln Road - A Parking Garage as Art

Unbelievable as it sounds (and trust me it gets even better), the most important new architectural landmark in Miami Beach is a parking garage. Designed by one of the leading architecture firms in the world, Herzog & de Meuron, the structure is humble compared to some of their most famous commissions: The Tate Modern and Beijing National Stadium (aka the birdcage).

The brainchild of developer Robert Wennett, the parking structure can also be rented for events - marriages have taken place there. On the fifth floor is Alchemist, the best clothing store in Miami, occupying one of the most amazing retail spaces anywhere. And one more thing, the developer built himself an apartment on the roof. You would struggle to find a more versatile, imaginative and dramatic solution to seemingly mundane usage requirements.

Visiting and photographing 1111 Lincoln Road was one of the most enjoyable moments of my Miami trip:

The gentle movement of vines in the breeze, growing from the railing of the apartment above:

The genius of using common building materials as art:

Alchemist, a must-visit store if you are in Miami Beach, like a fashion monastery:

The many setbacks and ceiling height changes:

The views of Miami Beach and beyond are spectacular:

Hints of the residence above:

Even the lighting embedded in the ceiling is artfully installed:

The stairs to the developer’s residence above:

The Fantasy World of Vizcaya

Just after a torrential rain storm, the gardens surrounding Villa Vizcaya in Miami, Florida are a dream world. The contrast of shadows and sunlight, the new discoveries around every corner; it feels like nowhere else in the world.

Built over the years 1914 to 1923 by James Deering, an heir to part of the International Harvester fortune, Vizcaya was an ambitious project. Designed in the Italian Renaissance style, the estate originally comprised 180 acres and required over 1,000 workers to complete. The house is spectacular though probably over-decorated and impractical. An open-air courtyard style house, preservation (ie Hurricanes) required that the courtyard be enclosed and storm windows placed over the original windows. No doubt the house and gardens require an enormous amount of money to maintain and the whole property feels a little like an ancient relic just discovered in the middle of a rain forest. No photos of the interior are allowed, but the gardens are the best part; the work of landscape architect Diego Suarez, the formal gardens cover 10 acres. They must have looked incredible at their peak, just before Deering’s death, in 1925.

James Deering’s yacht would pull right up to the back of the estate:

Looking out from the gazebo into Biscayne Bay:

Brilliant built-in planters:

This part of the garden looks 500 years old:

It feels like an Indiana Jones movie here:

Plenty of little lizards can be found sunning themselves:

My favorite shot:

They don’t make arches like this anymore:

A path, hidden by vegetation, contains surprise Sphinxes: