Richard Meier Reimagines the World’s Most Iconic Private Club

Miami’s skyline is full of glass and white-metal minimalism, but only one property is attached to the genre’s greatest living master, Richard Meier . The white-haired octogenarian christened Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club , his first large-scale project in Florida, on March 10 (but you’ll have to wait until March 27 to stay). His knack for waterfront locations stretches far back; he recalled a hotel in Taiwan and private residences in northern Michigan and Naples, Florida, while relaxing in the lobby at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. After a prior commission years ago a few blocks north never got off the ground, his late inclusion into the city’s crowded pool of starchitects worked out for the best in the end.

“Nadim [Ashi, founder of Fort Partners development firm] wanted the best of everything to create a special place in Surfside, which is really all an architect can ask for,” said Meier of collaborating with Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design on three new towers with 150 residences and 77 guest rooms, as well as the renovation of a Mediterranean Revival beach club dating to 1930. “I’ve seen the buildings downtown, and this is a far cry from what else is here.”

When dealing with materials as stripped down as metal and glass, it may seem nitpicky to suggest there could be such vast differences. But the effect is undeniable upon entering a hotel room, where the level of lightness and serenity feels like floating in the clouds. By drawing the outside in, Joseph Dirand’s room interiors of green Connemara marble from Scotland and white fluted walls heighten the sensation.

“Rather than fight nature, I want people to be able to appreciate nature and the reflecting colors as they change throughout the day,” said Meier, whose corner unit in the south tower catches the sunrise and sunset. “I can understand why people gravitate to Miami. It’s not just the water and the weather but all of it.”