Courtesy of Broadway Malyan

Architecture firm Broadway Malyan has been appointed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to design its new $100 million cruise terminal in Miami. As the “gateway to Miami,” the project will be the firm’s first major design in North America and will service the largest cruise ships in the world, aiming to become a new icon on the waterfront.

Courtesy of Broadway Malyan

Nicknamed the “Crown of Miami,” the Terminal has been designed to reflect the shape of a crown when viewed from the water, the “M” of “Miami” when viewed from the east or west, and “waves rising or ships passing” when viewed side-on.

Courtesy of Broadway Malyan

Additionally, the design incorporates sustainability elements such as an energy-efficient window glazing, rainwater collection, and recycling, which will be used for cooling, toilet flushing, and irrigation. Efficient building materials like a prefabricated frame and prefabricated flooring panels mean that the building can be constructed quickly. 

Overall, the Terminal is designed to enhance the arrival experience for passengers extending along the waterfront to maximize views of docking ships. Furthermore, the sides of the building are angled to reflect the water providing the terminal’s unique shape, which echoes the Royal Caribbean brand.

Courtesy of Broadway Malyan

Construction of Terminal is planned to begin in 2017, and the project is expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

Learn more about the project here.

News via Broadway Malyan. 

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© Cosmin Dragomir

• Architects: Vlad Sebastian Rusu Architecture Office
• Location: 1848 Square, no. 7, Blaj, jud. Alba, Transylvania, Romania
• Author : arch. Vlad Sebastian Rusu
• General Manager: sc. Asiza Birou de Arhitectură srl. Cluj-Napoca
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Cosmin Dragomir

• Collaborators: arch. Ilinca Marcu, s.arch. Cătălin Iliescu, s.arch. Teodor Vintilă, s.arch. Raluca Mirea, s.arch. Felicia Todericiu
• Archive Research: arch. Ioana Bârsan, arch. Vlad Sebastian Rusu
• Economic Documantation: sc. Prima Invest, ec. Florin Pop
• Structure: sc. Asiza Birou de Arhitectură srl. Cluj-Napoca, ing. Ovidiu Rusu
• Installation Design: sc. Grad Instal Cluj-Napoca, ing. Paul Biriș
• Stage Technology Design: Bosch Rexroth
• Builder: sc K&Kiss srl Cristuru Secuiesc and sc. Herbau srl. Miercurea Ciuc
• Site Supervisors: Nicușor Pintea, Adrian Pastiu
• Client: City Administration of Blaj

© Cosmin Dragomir

From the architect. The Cultural Palace was designed in the year 1930 by the Bucharest architect Victor Smigelschi, and its primary purpose was to host ASTRA Cultural Association’s events.

© Cosmin Dragomir

The first changes to the original design were to building’s main hall and these were made in the early 1960’s in order for it to accommodate a new function as the city’s cinema. Also from the same period the first floor of the building underwent some minor functional changes to accommodate the History and Ethnography Museum of Blaj and the Town’s Library and Blaj’s Wire Broadcasting Centre.

Before

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In the winter of 1995 a violent fire burnt down most of the building, severely damaging the roof and the interior space of the main hall. It remained a ruin until 2012, when the municipality initiated a project for the rehabilitation and refunctionalisation of the Palace. The building would be predesignated to incorporate a flexible multipurpose hall, which could be lit both artificially and by daylight, and which could host a wide variety of cultural events such as concerts, galas, theatre plays, conferences, exhibitions etc. The building would also serve as the headquarters for the Alba branch of the Romanian Academy.

Ground Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

Research
The Cultural Palace of Blaj was excluded from the list of the Romania’s Historical Monuments, even though it is located in the Historical Monuments National Protected Area. Sections of the initial architectural project attributed to Victor Smigelschi were found in the National Archive, as well as two pictures in which the building can be seen shortly after its inauguration. Regrettably, no records were found relating to the original interior design of the main hall.

© Cosmin Dragomir

© Cosmin Dragomir

Design Concept
With the benefit of historical research and with technical expertise it was decided that the spatial and functional design concept of the building, which was now a ruin, would follow the initial project. That decision meant that the alterations that were made in order to accommodate the later institutions had to be removed. The new design follows two directions: firstly, to evoke the recent tragic history of the building and secondly, to create a flexible interior and exterior space that can easily be adapted to the needs of the community that it serves. The main hall becomes a multi-purpose space by removing all the seating and through the addition of more daylight through the new roof lights. Other small reversible changes such as, the metal structure of the roof, the brick cladding and the suspended ceiling reminds the visitor of the recent fire.

© Cosmin Dragomir

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