Summa Development Group aimed to complement its recently completed Central Business District apartment tower with Orlando’s first five-star hospitality offering, in combination with branded, amenity-rich residences. The client’s conceptual goal was a sophisticated, modernist art-themed property with a timeless quality and unique form. Our design takes inspiration from Mies van der Rohe’s visionary unbuilt Friedrichstrasse Berlin Tower.

In response to the Floridian context of tropical modernism, the tower’s form has evolved. The bulbed ends of the curving building optimize views to the lake. Generous cantilevered balconies shade living spaces from direct sun, while a finned façade at the bedrooms serves a similar purpose with a higher degree of privacy. The tower’s base meets the ground with a transparent, undulating skin that exceeds the city’s streetscaping standards. Hardscape, landscape, and high degrees of permeability activate the neighborhood.