Five Park Creates a Tropical Design Marvel on Miami Beach 

The western gateway to Miami Beach has welcomed a new landmark in Five Park, its striking elliptical tower rising like a beacon above Biscayne Bay. Unlike the island’s boxy high-rises, the fluid structure catches the shifting light to deliver 360-degree views of the endless ocean and growing skyline. Generously proportioned balconies appear to unfurl in the sun. At its base, a three-acre public park softens the street-level bustle with lawns, native plantings, and shaded paths. A pedestrian bridge by artist Daniel Buren will span Fifth Street in a translucent band of color, offering both practical connection and a glowing public artwork. 

The developers, Terra and GFO Investments, aimed to deliver what they describe as a connected plan: a sculptural high-rise linked to green space, infrastructure, and art. Local firm Arquitectonica opted for a sinuous, aerodynamic-inspired profile that enhances sight lines and channels daylight into the lavish residences and abundance of amenities, which were designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates in collaboration with Anda Andrei. “Five Park’s elliptical form offered a compelling opportunity to craft elevated living spaces responsive to the ever-shifting light,” says Gabellini Sheppard partner Kimberly Sheppard. “We selected finishes that celebrate the iridescence of Miami Beach—materials like hand-applied silver leaf and warm walnut paneling with inlaid metal detailing to reflect and soften light in nuanced ways.” 

That attention to light, scale, and material defines the entire project, from grand architectural gestures to the most intimate of spaces. “We approached scale as an opportunity to create emotional resonance—from the spatial embrace of a grand lobby to the solitude of a private lounge,” Sheppard explains. “Each space, whether expansive or more intimate, was designed to respond to the varying rhythms and moods of daily life, while unified through material richness and design elements that exude residential comfort.” 

Anda Andrei, whose portfolio spans such high-profile hospitality projects as the Gramercy Park Hotel, the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, and the Delano Miami Beach, oversaw the design vision to ensure interiors avoided boilerplate luxury. “Curated warmth doesn’t happen by accident—it comes from intention at every level,” she tells Galerie, noting her design pillars always lie in asking how to make life easier, better, and more beautiful. “We avoided anything generic, corporate, or overly polished. Instead, we layered materials with soul, using every detail to evoke emotion.” That idea meant thinking about colors, textures, and furnishings with a curatorial eye. “Furniture was collected, not prescribed,” she explains. “Art and objects were chosen with care—each one unique, never about quantity, always quality.” 

That principle translates into grounded yet richly detailed lobbies steeped in classical elements. One combines silver travertine floors, fluted archways evoking carved stone, an 18-foot domed ceiling softened by cove lighting, and a painting by Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo. Warm walnut panels and classic luminaires by Gae Aulenti and Rougier impart vintage charm, achieving what Andrei describes as an atmosphere that feels lived-in, warm, and personal. “Layouts were shaped with attention to lifestyle, human scale, and variety—spaces that support both the intimate and the public, places to retreat and places to gather,” she says. “A touch of levity runs throughout. These are environments made to shift with the seasons of everyday life.” 

Residences echo that tactile appeal, with Italian oak cabinetry, marble countertops, Gaggenau appliances, and spa-inspired bathrooms boasting Italian-made vanities and textured glass doors. Alternatively, buyers can opt for fully furnished turnkey residences by the likes of RH, B&B Italia, Addison House, and Artefacto. “There’s nothing else like this in the market right now,” says David Martin, CEO of Terra. “We know today’s buyers want homes they can enjoy immediately, and we’ve curated interiors that match their level of taste.”  

Amenities, naturally, follow suit. The sixth-floor Park Club offers resort-style pools, trellised walkways with bougainvillea and jasmine, and a restaurant, Café Flora, helmed by Michelle Bernstein. The members-only Canopy Club, located on the 26th floor, sports a laundry list of hot-ticket perks: dining areas, lounges, a library, spa rooms, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities among them. A curved Thierry Lemaire sofa, hanging light sculpture by Rogan Gregory, and mahogany and blue quartz table by Kelly Behun lend an air of refinement.  

The result melds the laid-back cool of Miami’s coastal lifestyle with a sense of belonging. “Miami is in constant evolution—it reinvents itself all the time,” Andrei says. “The goal was to create something timeless and classic that holds up as the city shifts around it. Design doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.”