Car lift allows residents to drive into Bentley’s Miami Beach skyscraper apartments

Sieger Suarez Architects and Dezer Development have released footage detailing the design of a lift that will allow residents to drive vehicles directly into apartments on all levels of the 61-storey skyscraper in Miami Beach.

The Bentley Residences is a joint project between Sieger Suarez Architects (SSA), Bentley and Dezer Development.

SSA came up with the concept for the car elevator, which was then patented by Dezer Developments under the name the “Dezervator”.

Each unit of the 749-foot (228 metre) skyscraper will have a three- or four-car garage attached directly to it, which can be accessed by one of four lifts accessed from the ground floor.

“We are responsible for the transportation process of the vehicle, particularly the following: how you pick the car up and deposit it in the garage, the overall elevator operation, and safety,” said SAA president Charles Sieger.

“The unique thing about the ‘Dezervator’ is that it takes you to your floor in your car and interlocks with the garage floor upon arrival.”

At the lower levels, the elevators will be enclosed in glass so that passengers can see the public spaces of the building through the windows of their vehicles.

Resident’s vehicles will be fitted with RFID stickers that register through a scanning system. The system will then guide drivers via a series of lights to the proper lift, which will take them directly to their apartments.

The garages will be outfitted with EV charging stations as well as additional storage, and the lifts will be able to rotate the vehicles depending on which end needs to be accessed.

“The hard part for us was safety,” said Sieger. “The ‘Dezervator’ transports people directly, so we must ensure they are locked in their vehicles safely.”

Yet to start on site, the skyscraper is the first branded residential project by the British automobile manufacturer and is set to be completed in 2026.

The structure of the building is oval-shaped, and the individual apartments have oval shapes as well because of the large amount of glass frontage that it provides.

“I designed the plans of the units, but Gil [Dezer] had the idea to use and feature diamond glass for the skin of the building. It has been a lengthy process,” said Sieger.

“The diamond-shaped glass wraps the sides of the building. It allows each large patio to have a layer of glass instead of the railing overlapping the balcony to protect you from the wind.”

Sieger said that in addition to the elevators, the balconies of the building are noteworthy, with each taking up about half the square footage of the apartments.

Each terrace will have a private swimming pool, outdoor shower, kitchen, and living room area.

SSA was responsible for the structure, while designer Michael Wolk will handle the interiors and Bentley will develop the furniture and has given opinions on design details throughout the process.

“Everyone’s priority throughout the development process has been to use as much DNA of the Bentley vehicles as possible,” said Sieger.

SSA is responsible for other large-scale projects in Miami, including the planned Waldorf Astoria, which when completed will be the city’s first supertall skyscraper.