Visitors to Miami, Florida, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, can choose from an endless array of activities, both on and off the water. In Miami, you can explore vibrant cultural areas like Wynwood and Little Havana, relax on the famous beaches of South Beach, see impressive street art throughout the city, visit Zoo Miami to see a variety of animals and species or spend some time at Bayside Marketplace, a popular waterfront site with shops, restaurants and boat tours ideal for spotting celebrity homes.
Over 20 years ago, Miami native Craig Robins recognized the potential of the Miami Design District and started acquiring property in the neighborhood. He wanted to reinvigorate a forgotten part of Miami, transforming it into a creative community through exceptional architecture, design and experiences. Now, this singular vision for the neighborhood has been realized.
L Catterton (then L Real Estate) joined Robins as a partner in 2011 and encouraged the luxury brands of LVMH to recognize the unique potential of the community. Robins and Catterton both believed that flagship stores in the District would allow LVMH brands to showcase their complete offerings in unique, architecturally innovative spaces. That same year, DPZ CoDesign developed a new master plan for the neighborhood with a high-end retail core of nearly one million square feet with complementary hospitality and residential uses.
Today, the Miami Design District has become a bona fide travel draw, where architecture, public art, luxury retail, restaurants and cultural programming all converge. More than a shopping hub, it’s now a must-stop for design-led travelers planning Miami beyond the beach. With new restaurant and gallery openings this fall, plus signature cultural programming around Miami Art Week, the District offers a walkable, highly visual “48 hours in” experience that blends hospitality, design and luxury lifestyle.
Robbins recently discussed the Design District’s history and appeal.
“Revitalizing the Miami Design District has been a passion for me and my partners. The neighborhood has always had a rich history with a strong connection to design, but by the late ’80s it was only half occupied. In the mid ’90s, I began to secretly and strategically acquire properties because I saw an opportunity for renewal and to create a thriving creative mixed-use community that could contribute to Miami’s cultural fabric. The area had historically been devoted to design showrooms, and I wanted to preserve that identity. We started by bringing back furniture design, which proved very successful and gave us cash flow. We then used those resources to define the neighborhood as an even more important place for creativity by bringing in and collaborating with Art Basel and then founding Design Miami. The neighborhood’s growth took a major leap when L Real Estate (now known as L Catterton Real Estate), joined as a partner. Bernard Arnault of LVMH, an investor in L Catterton, shared our vision of building a neighborhood where culture, luxury, and the arts could converge. From there, fashion brands started to engage incredible architects and designers to build global flagship stores. The diversity and increased scale of uses continued to build critical mass. Today, the neighborhood is home to more than 200 flagship stores, world-class restaurants, leading cultural institutions and a dynamic public art and design program.”
“The Miami Design District is unlike anywhere else. It’s where luxury shopping, world-class dining, hospitality, residential, office, cultural institutions, public art and architectural landmarks all converge in one neighborhood. In just 48 hours, you can experience it all. Begin your morning at a café such as Pura Vida Miami, explore designer stores, and enjoy dinner at one of our acclaimed restaurants — from Michelin-starred COTE Miami, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon or Le Jardinier, fun quality experiences like Mother Wolf, Nami Nori and Contessa to beloved Miami institutions like Michael’s Genuine and Mandolin Aegean Bistro. Around every corner, art installations and architectural gems transform the streets into an open-air gallery, creating moments of wonder and inspiration. Neighborhood iconic installations are everywhere such as Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome to a Parking Garage by John Baldessari. We just installed Pink Spatial Microbiota, a new permanent installation by acclaimed Argentine artist Ad Minoliti spans four floors of the historic Buick Building and reimagines the stairwell as a digestive system — an internal ecosystem animated by vibrant silhouettes, geometric abstractions and a reframing of art history. And the story continues to evolve. This fall we’re welcoming the expansion of iconic houses like Cartier and Rolex among other exciting openings.”
“The Miami Design District continues to evolve, with a dynamic lineup of new openings and cultural milestones this year. This fall, Chef Yasu Tanaka will unveil Yasu, one of the season’s most anticipated debuts. Earlier this year, the celebrated Milanese institution Le Specialità opened its doors, and the team is already preparing to introduce a new concept, Oniku. On the cultural front, we are marking the 10th anniversary of our Annual Neighborhood Commission with acclaimed designer Katie Stout. What began as an initiative to invite visionary artists and designers to reimagine the neighborhood has grown into a defining tradition, one that continues to shape the District’s identity in bold and unexpected ways.”