What do you do when there’s not a client- I mean no one to specifically design for- when staging a home to be sold?  The answer, of course, is that you have to invent a story. I found this out when I was asked to stage this home for a prominent developer here in Miami, Florida.

There is a reason why today’s hottest architects and interior designers are referred to as starchitects and design celebs. Their designs are just spectacular. Enter 835 E Dilido Dr. Created by the renowned firm Design Solutions and award-winning interior designer Luciana Fragali, the home is an oasis of luxury in Miami’s Venetian Island neighborhood.

Photo Credit: Alexia Fodere

This magnificent Venetian Islands estate has 99 feet of Biscayne Bay frontage, showcased by 12-foot-high retractable Vitrocsa windows that blur the line between inside and out. The sweeping, open-plan interior leads directly to deep terraces, a zero-edge pool with an integrated spa, a cabana kitchen, and an Ipe wood dock.

Photo Credit: Alexia Fodere

Inside the beautiful form and exceptional function continues. Rich materials and bespoke details make the large, 7, 112 sq. ft. home feel handcrafted and intimate. The home’s concept—neutral and layered—was informed by Fragali’s Brazilian heritage.

“A lot of my inspirations come from Brazil,” she says, “which I think is the design capital of the world—I’m proud of my people.” But she adds that she’s over the rustic finishes that many associate with the country’s aesthetic. Fragali counts on Brazilian designers such as Jader Almeida as inspirations and this home was no exception. Generous spaces set the stage to showcase custom pieces by Jader Almeida, making this home truly unlike no other. Though with regard to this Venetian Island project, their influence is hard to discern except around the edges: Design/Solutions is doing something all its own.

Photo Credit: Alexia Fodere

“I always advise clients to go neutral for big spaces, so they don’t get bored,” Fragali says. So when it came to designing this home, color was saved for accessories, which could be mixed and matched and rotated. Fragali knew that the concept needed an injection of warmth through texture, artwork, curtains, and accessories. These accessories are used to elevate the design and functionality of this modern yet comfortable living space.

Even within its limited palette, the family room carries mighty visual interest—and coziness. The TV hangs from a rich marble wall with a matte finish, above a custom floating shelve. The walnut wood backing for the marble slab features a simplistic design and exudes the warmth that was the designer’s goal. The beige sofa and black accent chairs are from Jader Almeida.

The living room is a variation on the theme, perhaps a shade more formal. Another Jader Almeida sofa appears, the orthogonal design of the elevated base of turned feet with continuous seat and the large feather pillows, attract for a pleasant experience in the living environment. The Basic sofa is an expression of the signature of contemporary design. Wooden Easy armchairs back up against the million-dollar water view, while six Jader Almeida pendants frame the dining room table creating an aesthetic that is both industrial and sophisticated.

Photo Credit: Alexia Fodere

The large office features a privacy glass feature and private bath, with courtyard views. Upstairs, two guest rooms feature wide bay views, in addition to the secluded master suite which also offers two balconies, an Ornare closet, and a private gym.

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Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pininfarina

Paolo Pininfarina, whose grandfather opened the luxury design firm, was present during Miami Art Week 2019 to unveil the presentation.

"Oasis" explores the concept of mindfulness through a global lens, providing an immersive experience that allows the viewer to engage with all senses. It was created as a partnership with Florida-based sustainable luxury furniture leader Sklar Furnishings, and the landscape architecture practice, LAND.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pininfarina

“Architecture and design are far more than a mere collection of aesthetic elements—the built environment can influence the behavior of people in a powerful way,” says Paolo Trevisan, Pininfarina’s Head of Design and Architecture.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pininfarina

The plan for the exhibition is anchored in a single, interactive pathway, intended to represent the journey to self-realization and groundedness. Designed to detach each visitor from the technology-driven world and reconnect the body to a sense of self, the pathway will lead to a secluded, calming oasis hidden within the installation. Participants will find this pathway at the end of a narrow tunnel, perfectly balanced by a lush, central tree of life. Above, a cascading garden will provide a sense of security, slowing visitors’ racing minds and allowing them to find peace and healing in nature. The biophilia for the exhibit will be curated by LAND. Designed with the purpose of wellbeing; whether used for medicinal or fragrant purposes, each of the plants will be selected for how it benefits the human body. Capitalizing on sweeping city views, which are framed by a custom-built bar at the window, visitors will discover the oasis within––invited to unwind and explore their taste buds over a cup of herbal tea.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pininfarina

Driven by the philosophy that good design can support good health, Pininfarina is incorporating the five senses—sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound—into the design of the exhibition to create moments of healing and tranquility for the mind, body, and spirit. For sight, written affirmations and strategically-placed lighting will facilitate visitor relaxation; for sound, calming music that corresponds to mood lighting will define the energy of the journey, encouraging visitors to release the tensions of modern life; for smell, natural biophilic aromas will enhance one’s connection to the natural world; for taste, calming tea will be available for those who enjoy the ritual; and for touch, peaceful, grounding materials and textures will exude serenity and offer comfort.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pininfarina

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Reportedly, media mogul Barry Diller and his fashion designer girlfriend Diane von Furstenberg have pledged $113 million of their own personal fortune toward constructing Heatherwick’s fantastical proposal for Manhattan—a floating island oasis park over the Hudson River between Pier 55 off West 13th Street and the decaying Pier 54.

Treasure Island is an imaginative 108,000-square-foot public park proposed for Manhattan's west side.

The oasis park's undulating topography will be unlike any other park in New York City.

The island will stand over the Hudson River, 184 feet off Manhattan's shoreline at West 13th Street.

Diller and von Furstenberg's donation is the largest ever for a public park in New York City’s history. If all goes according to plan, New York State and New York City's biggest advocates (Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio) will be onboard for the public park venture. It's amazing how a $113 million donation can bring public, private, and government in line. No bureaucracy or red tape this time.

The park’s design is complete, and is projected to cost $130 million overall. City and state funding will fill the estimated $17- to $18-million gap, as well as further plans to enhance and widen the West 14th Street esplanade area 50 more feet over the water, near Treasure Island’s proposed location. Hudson River Park boasts 13 newly-built piers of which Treasure Island will be the latest, when approval by the Hudson River Park Trust is finalized in early 2015. Perhaps Chelsea Piers (with its golf driving range pier) and even the Chelsea neighborhood's elevated High Line section showed New York City what was possible when space is at a premium.

Treasure Island is a collaboration between British designer Thomas Heatherwick and landscape architect Mathews Nielsen. New Yorkers can expect lush landscapes like this.

The 2.7-acre oasis will showcase 108,000 square feet of undulating topography (rising from 15 feet to 71 feet above the water) upon 341 mushroom-like concrete pile foundations. The park will boast lushly-landscaped gardens, groves, open grass, and idyllic spots for lounging. Most spectacularly, the island will offer unexpected spaces seemingly reserved for Alice in Wonderland and a 700-seat amphitheater for music, dance, theater and public art performances.

Treasure Island will play host to free or low-cost entertainment programmed by some of Hollywood’s top talent, including Academy Award-winning (The Social Network) and Tony-Award-winning (The Book of Mormon) producer Scott Rudin, vice chair of the nonprofit Pier55 Inc., which will fund day-to-day operations under a 20-year lease with the park trust, according to reports.

Like Central Park, the 2.7 acre oasis will offer New Yorkers an escape from stressful city life--all on the Hudson River.

Designer Heatherwick is collaborating with landscape architect Mathews Nielsen to create Treasure Island which will flourish 184 feet offshore and connect (via two pedestrian bridge ramps) to Hudson River Park--a four-mile-long stretch that extends from Battery Park City to 59th Street. Nielsen also designed the Tribeca section of the Hudson River. According to the New York Post, the island park will replace much of Pier 54, where the steamship Carpathia safely returned survivors of the sunken Titanic in 1912.

Heatherwick, head of Heatherwick Studio, is also developing a Garden Bridge that spans London’s River Thames between the South Bank and Covent Garden. Since bridges over the Hudson are a no-no, the Treasure Island “Manhattan project” will grant the public park access only from the West 13th Street side (sorry New Jersey, you’ll be allowed to visit it via Manhattan).

The 700-seat amphitheater will present music, art, dance, and theatrical shows programmed by top showbiz talent.

Treasure Island at night above the Hudson River.

The park, located between Pier 55 and a dilapidated area of Pier 54, will beautify Manhattan's shoreline in one of the most unique interpretations in the city's history.

"When I was little I used to come to Manhattan to visit my great aunt who lived here and never forgot being driven down the West Side Highway and seeing the fields of disused pile heads sticking out of the river," said Heatherwick, quoted in de Zeen Magazine. "All these years later, my studio and I are [honored] to now be growing another set of river piles in the midst of these historic ones to hold up a new phenomenal public park with special spaces for performances," he said.

Heatherwick is famous for his enormous imagination and creativity. He designed the Olympic cauldron for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. His cauldron, the stadium centerpiece, featured 204 individual copper sculpture stems topped by flame which converged from the ground (surging skyward like a radiating flower petal) to form the giant kinetic cauldron that represented the Olympic spirit of unity. Heatherwick's imagination knows no bounds, routinely pulling off what others would think is impossible—if they could imagine that far. Treasure Island is the latest example of this.

Treasure Island will be similar to designer Heatherwick's Garden Bridge in London, which will span the River Thames.

Thomas Heatherwick, designer of the proposed Treasure Island

Even the “The Bard" (William Shakespeare) himself couldn’t have imagined performances of King Lear over the Hudson River (or the River Thames)—despite repeated references to nature's "shadowy forests," "plenteous rivers," and "wide-skirted meads" (meadows). Shakespeare could have been describing Manhattan's Treasure Island.

The only remaining question: how safe will this island be considering past damage to Manhattan's shoreline following big storms like Hurricane Sandy? We’re sure Barry, Diane, Thomas and Mathews (who have so much invested in Treasure Island's future success), as well as New York City and New York State, will ensure the oasis is more than structurally sound for New York City residents, tourists and Shakespearean actors alike. But just in case, we hope Othello, Lady McBeth, Falstaff and Shylock are good swimmers. The only Shakespearean tragedies we expect to unfold on Treasure Island will be on stage at the amphitheater.

Treasure Island will be a destination for New Yorkers and tourists seeking solace, nature and elite entertainment.

Photos and details courtesy of Curbed and Dezeen

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