Architect Bernard Zyscovich’s firm is designing a bus shelter at Bayside Marketplace, as part of a winning concept for the 2015 Public Space Challenge.
The project, funded through a $22,000 grant from the Miami Foundation, is aimed at boosting the mass transit experience by designing bus shelters that will attract daily commuters and keep them safe from extreme weather conditions such as exposure to sun, heat and heavy rain.
The Miami Foundation selected the winning bus shelter concept, called “Top them off,” which came from Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez and resident Ralph Rosado. “Today, over 2,000 bus stops across the county are uncovered,” Suarez wrote on the Public Space Challenge’s website. Transit-dependent commuters must endure Miami’s torrential downpours and heat just to get to work or school and back. We will design and construct bus shelters at key locations using a design consistent with each neighborhood’s style, and that addresses the challenges limiting the construction of shelters, such as limited space.”
The new concept design by Zyscovich, of Zyscovich Architects, aims to combine practical functionality and appealing aesthetics in order to bring attention to the lack of bus shelters across the county, according to a release.
“We are elated by this prestigious award but even more elated by the fact that we are showing the world what a bus shelter can do for the people who depend on public transportation,” Suarez in a statement.
Zyscovich is already familiar with Bayside, which is set to undergo a major renovation. Owner General Growth Partners has hired Zyscovich Architects to revamp the outdoor common areas and waterfront plazas, expand the two-level parking garage and add retail space along Biscayne Boulevard. In December, GGP boosted its $79 million mortgage to $250 million for the renovation and expansion. So far, new entrants at Bayside include Segafredo, scheduled to open in September, as The Real Deal previously reported.
Zyscovich is hoping that the bus shelter idea will catch on and it can be used in other parts of Miami-Dade County, such as in Miami Beach, Wynwood and Midtown Miami, his spokesperson told TRD.