Dubai developer Damac International has announced plans to build a 12-storey condominium, designed by UK firm Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), to replace the building that collapsed in the town of Surfside, Florida.
The June 2021 Surfside tragedy resulted in the deaths of 98 people. Damac purchased the site in July 2022 and two designs been submitted for planning approval.
Each condominium contains a spa, a gym and shares a 100ft-long rooftop pool that stretches across a central divide.
The two designs have a number of variations: one has steps on its south side, the second has straight elevations on all sides. However, the façades of both echoes the colour and texture of the surrounding beach and its sand dunes.
The two designs have balconies that stagger but never align vertically, and come with shading elements and curves that allow for privacy.
Chris Lepine, ZHA’s director, said: “While no work of architecture can ever remove the pain of the past, nor should it, a truly ambitious work of architecture can respect such a significant site. It’s a great responsibility to be providing this vision for Surfside.”
Niall Mc Loughlin, a senior vice president of Damac International, said: “We know we cannot replace what was so painfully lost, but it is our desire that the building honour and respect its location at the heart of Surfside’s community, and offers a sense of closure to the tragic event of the past while also providing a sense of a new beginning.”
