Hotel Andaz Miami Beach: Light, Water, and the Aqueous Threshold By RANDY REID The first thing I noticed, standing on the upper terrace of the new Hotel Andaz Miami Beach, was the movement of light. Not electric light—at least not at first—but daylight tumbling through circular water-filled skylights overhead. The sun rippled through the fountains, flickering onto the stone floor of the restaurant below as if the entire building were breathing through the water. It was a transformation that could only be deliberate, and it set the tone for this article. That choreography belongs to David Ghatan of CM Kling Lighting Design. David and his team spent nearly two years stitching together an integrated, aquatic-themed lighting narrative for this full-property renovation, working handin-glove with architect Malcolm Berg of EOA Architects and ownership group Sunstone. The result is a resort that feels cohesive, fluid, and in constant conversation with its beachfront setting. I interviewed David before my Miami getaway, and while his insights were invaluable but even his detailed explanations couldn’t prepare me for the experience of seeing the lighting come alive once I arrived on site. I made two visits: an earlymorning walk-through and a return late in the afternoon. That second visit carried me into dusk, long enough to watch the space dissolve from blue-washed daylight into a soft, saturated red as evening arrived. “You’re always right at the line where land and ocean meet,” David told me. “The architecture carries that idea, and the lighting needed to reinforce it—subtly, quietly, and always with movement.”
A Lobby That Breathes The moment you climb the grand staircase to the secondfloor lobby, you sense the project’s central idea: light as water, and water as light. The ceiling is carved into massive concentric coves, their soft curves bending like surface ripples. Each cove carries a hidden band of bendable tape light from Inter-lux’s Linea Light brand—warm 2700K, dimmable to fine degrees, never dramatic, always atmospheric. “These aren’t rectangular coves,” David said. “They’re organic forms, undulating, creating a real ambiance.” The decision not to use dim-to-warm here was intentional. Instead, he kept the coves at a consistent 2700K while 40
designing lighting
iWorks sconces cast moving shadows across curved millwork and high white surfaces, tying daylight, architecture, and ambient light together. Photo Credit: Randy Reid
allowing downlights—primarily from Lucifer—to warm as they dim. That subtle shift helps anchor the bar and seating areas during evening service without overpowering the architecture. During the day, the light is buoyant. The lobby is washed in soft daylight bouncing off white columns, pale terrazzo, and sculptural forms. “The daylight is strong and very reflective,” David explained. “So instead of fighting it, we embraced it. We wanted the warmth to arrive at night, not during the day.” It works. On my second visit, I sat in the lobby long enough to watch the space move from airy brightness to a layered,