The Parking Garage Gets Its Turn in the Architectural Spotlight

The gaze of the world's starchitects has turned lovingly towards the lowly parking garage. New projects by Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Frank Gehry, and Enrique Norten in Miami give a makeover to the Cinderella of structures.

1 minute read

January 23, 2012, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The world's most revered architects are showing their chops in a showdown in America's southeast. The setting for this virtuoso duel is Miami, Florida and the object of attention is the much maligned parking garage.

"The fact that the parking garage has been a neglected form excites some architects, says Bernardo Fort-Brescia, founding principal of Arquitectonica. "That's precisely the challenge-how to turn that garage into something that people love," he says."

"As star architects descend on Miami Beach, they seem to be goading more of their peers to join. "What's happening now is similar to what happened in the Art Deco period, when the city developed a collaborative of architects who played off each other's designs," says William Cary, assistant director of the Miami Beach planning department."

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Brutalist grey department of housing and urban development building in Washington DC.

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response

Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

1 hour ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Lancaster Boulevard with tree-lined median and wide sidewalks in Lancaster, California.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way

One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Sign in front of building for seior services center in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk

High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

3 hours ago - WESH

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA