Espirito Santo Plaza, the newest addition to the Miami skyline, is a sparkling 37-story tower. Architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and LERA were charged with creating an iconic design to meet the owner and developer goals. Their aim was to create a global landmark structure that would define Miami and represent Group Espirito Santo in the United States.

The structural design for the tower was key to the project’s success. Office, hotel and residential floors each required different column layouts. LERA designed a complex column transfer system to accommodate the building’s three occupancies. In case of a flood, the curtain wall is designed to keep the water out of the building, creating a reverse aquarium effect. LERA designed the ground floor slab as a pressure slab to resist the upward hydrostatic pressure that would result from floods. Finally, LERA designed concrete outriggers to increase the lateral stiffness of the tower and resist Miami’s hurricane force winds. Located in the heart of Miami’s international financial district, Espirito Santo Plaza, with its simple, elegant lines and sculptured exterior welcomes visitors, beautifully symbolizing Miami as a gateway to Latin America.