KDHamptons Design Diary with Luxury Developer David Martin
South Florida luxury developer, David Martin is heading to the Hamptons this summer for the first time and he’s looking forward to experiencing the natural beauty, architecture and gardens of the East End with his family. Since the Hamptons is a second home to many people who live in Miami who share the love for both areas, KDHamptons chats with David to discuss his latest project, Eighty Seven Park.
KDHamptons: I saw the Eighty Seven Park Gallery last year and was completely blown away by the space. Can you tell me about it?
David Martin: We wanted prospects to feel like they were in their homes, not a sales center. Nothing stuffy or forced, we decided to place the glass structure right on the beach and create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. With a paved path that leads towards the ocean and incredible views, it’s modeled after what an actual resident would experience coming home to Eighty Seven Park every day.
Eighty Seven Park is the only residential building in Miami that sits atop the ocean and park.
KDHamptons: The design is incredible! Tell me more about how the interiors were chosen?
David Martin: The interiors were designed by RDAI, and they’ll be designing every residence at Eighty Seven Park also. They’re known for their work with Hermes, and with this project they really focused on bringing the outdoors in. Every detail is inspired by the Miami coastline and its unique ecology. Light oak floors resemble the sand, our color palette echoes the natural foliage and floor-to-ceiling glass windows create the allusion that the building is floating on the horizon. That’s what Renzo Piano’s whole concept behind Eighty Seven Park is about – the idea of a structure so perfect that it blends into its surroundings and effortlessly floats above it all.
Eighty Seven Park is Pritzker Prize-winning Architect Renzo Piano’s first foray in the US.
KDHamptons: I really love the North Beach neighborhood. Why did you pick that location for Eighty Seven Park?
David Martin: North Beach is the next big neighborhood in Miami. It’s where all the wealth is going, and it’s an ideal community. You could think of it as the new South of Fifth. Bal Harbour Shops and Surfside is just up the road, South Beach is a stone’s throw away and there’s a great sense of belonging in that area. People who live there have stayed there for years, and it’s because its stable, safe and secure.
Breathtaking ocean and park views at every turn.
KDHamptons: I’m a huge fan of Renzo Piano. Can you tell me how you went about picking him as the architect for this project?
David Martin: Renzo Piano grew up in Italy with the sea in his blood, and there’s no other architect who could’ve brought this vision to life. I’d prefer to say that we chose each other for this project rather than me picking him. He felt at home in Miami the same way I do. The honesty of everyday life here, with work and play alike defined by the proximity to the sea, spoke to his love of light and clarity. He put that inspiration into Eighty Seven Park, and captured that sense of transparency in a way only he knows how.
KDHamptons: I love how the project is on the ocean and the park. Is that the only building in Miami that has both?
David Martin: Yes, it is the only building that has both. If you ask me, it’s one of the only projects in the world that offers something as special as this. Eighty Seven Park is literally steps from the shores of the Atlantic, and then it is nestled between a 35-acre public park to the South and a 2-acre private park to the North. All of the landscape architecture is being done by West 8, and they are utilizing the $10 million Terra donated to re-imagine North Shore Park for the entire community to enjoy. Apart from a beautiful transformation, we plan to make the coast more resilient in an effort to combat sea level rise and better protect the North Beach neighborhood as a whole.
Interiors designed by RDAI and Landscaping by West 8. Dedicated in-house botanist available around the clock.