The Towers by Foster + Partners

The Villa Magna Condominium Complex was planned to be a big building in Brickell, in downtown Miami, Florida. The idea for this building was approved in 2006, and people thought building would start in April 2007. But then, a big problem with houses around the world happened in the late 2000s, and the building couldn’t be made.

Later, in 2016, the plan came back with a new name: The Towers by Foster + Partners. This new plan needed special permission because the building would be very tall—over 1,000 feet high. Permission was given, and work could have started.

In the early 2020s, the land was sold to a company called the Citadel Group. They wanted to move their office from Chicago to Miami. In late 2024, they asked permission to build an even taller tower, called the Citadel Tower. If approved, it would stand at 1,049 feet tall—the tallest allowed in that area.

History

The Villa Magna Condominium Complex was planned to have two tall buildings called Villa Magna Condominiums I and II. Both would have been 574 feet tall with 57 floors and connected by a plaza. It would have been located at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive in the Brickell neighborhood in Miami. The buildings were supposed to have 780 homes, but in 2007, the plans changed to include more hotel and shop space because the housing market was getting worse. The plans were approved with special permission.

Revival

In 2011, there were rumors that the project plans might come back to life.

In 2015, the plan was approved to build a building as tall as 995 feet (303 meters).

The Towers by Foster + Partners

In 2016, officials allowed buildings up to 1,040 feet (320 meters) tall on the site, and Foster + Partners began designing a new building. In November 2016, they showed new designs for the project, now called The Towers by Foster + Partners. This design included two very tall towers with 660 homes. It also planned more space for people to use and enjoy, with much of the parking underground, which is a difficult task in Miami because the ground is very low. The design would have a public arcade going through the area to the Baywalk and 56,800 square feet (5,280 meters²) of open space for everyone. These buildings would have been the tallest buildings in Miami, taller than FECR’s Panorama Tower, which was being built two blocks north on Brickell Bay Drive. FECR sold the site in 2022.

Ken Griffin and Citadel HQ

Between 2019 and 2025, billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin of Citadel Inc. bought several homes in the Miami area, including the site at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. He planned to build a new headquarters tower for Citadel at the tallest height allowed, which is 1,049 feet (320 meters) above sea level.