Aventura (Fla.) Mall is getting even more luxurious, with a three-level, 315,000-square-foot expansion under way that will add room for more high-end tenants. The new wing, expected to open this fall, will include several destination restaurants, some three dozen stores, a new food court with indoor/outdoor seating and a rooftop garden, and a VIP concierge area available for private dinners and events.
Designed by architect Carlos Zapata and JPRA Architects, the wing will be built on the east side of the property, near Macy’s. The contemporary space will minimize the separation of indoors and outdoors with an immense glass facade and a skylight that extends the entire length of the concourse, says Jackie Soffer, co-chairman and CEO of Turnberry Associates, the property’s owner and manager.
The continuous 350-foot skylight will run the length of the new wing, providing natural lighting as well as views of the mall’s rooftop terrace. An 84-by-50-foot glass wall at the entrance of the expansion will offer panoramic views of the center’s landscaped courtyard, blurring the line between interior and exterior, Soffer says. The new wing also offers interior and exterior observation points that visitors can use to enjoy the mall’s art installations, including pieces by Wendell Castle and Mark Handforth.
The mall’s leasing team recently added French luxury label Givenchy and Italian fashion brand Gucci to a collection of upscale tenants that already includes Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Burberry, Bally and Emilio Pucci. Givenchy is scheduled to open this summer and Gucci this fall. Both boutiques will be located in the mall’s Nordstrom court. “The additions of Givenchy and Gucci will enhance the shopping experience for our local and international visitors and further establish Aventura Mall as one of the country’s top fashion destinations,” Soffer said. Aventura Mall opened in 1983. A 1997 expansion doubled the shopping center’s footprint, and a 2007 addition included Nordstrom and a three-level wing of upscale stores. At 2.7 million square feet, Aventura Mall is one of the largest shopping centers in the country and welcomes nearly 30 million visitors each year.