Bakehouse
Art Complex
Gateway
For the Bakehouse Art Complex Gateway Project in Miami, I drew inspiration from Renzo Piano’s Valletta City Gate in Malta, where limestone and brick extrusions manipulate light and scale—an approach that guided my design.
Details
- Date : December 2022
- Client : Professor Zalmy Meyer
- Status : Completed
- Location : Miami, Florida
Project Info
For the Bakehouse Art Complex Gateway Project, we were asked to propose a renovation of the existing wall and courtyard at the Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami. My design draws inspiration from the Valletta City Gate in Malta, designed by Renzo Piano. The City Gate, built entirely of limestone with brick cladding, uses brick extrusions to manipulate light and views, while evoking the influence of erosion—both of which shaped my design approach.
The project began with an analysis of a wall section from the precedent. Studying Piano’s use of brick patterns revealed how brick extrusions affect light, scale, and spatial perception. Building on this, I developed a design that incorporated a bench, a staircase, and a hidden room within the wall section. The bench was inspired by erosion, created through extruding and recessing bricks to form a sculptural element. The staircase employed the same strategy, extending the idea into a grand circulation element integrated into a massive wall.
For the hidden room, the walls gradually narrow as one enters, creating an irregular, cave-like space. This spatial compression contrasts with the openness of the surrounding environment and emphasizes the tactile quality of brick.
In the final stage, I expanded the concept into a full courtyard and cluster of buildings along the existing wall at the Bakehouse Art Complex. Inspired by Piano’s glass lobby, I designed a coffee shop enclosed entirely in glass beneath a gallery, allowing direct views from the street into the courtyard. The courtyard design integrates circulation paths, angled walls, planters, and benches, all derived from extruded brick geometries. Together, these elements create a dynamic, open public space that invites exploration and engagement.
The Brief
A bench and staircase employ brick extrusion to suggest the natural process of erosion. This creates surfaces that feel both functional and sculptural, blurring the line between structure and landscape.
The hidden room narrows as one moves inside, gradually compressing the space. This transition produces an irregular, cave-like chamber that contrasts with the openness of the surrounding areas.
Angled walls and extruded brick forms frame a central courtyard, emphasizing scale and drama. A glass-walled coffee shop beneath the gallery strengthens the link between the interior and the street, encouraging visibility and interaction.
The Bakehouse Art Complex Gateway Project in Miami explores how architectural traditions can be reinterpreted through innovation. Inspired by Renzo Piano’s Valletta City Gate in Malta, the design uses limestone and brick cladding with extruded brick forms to manipulate light, scale, and spatial experience. The project evolves from precedent analysis into a full courtyard and building cluster, creating an engaging public space that balances monumentality with intimacy.
