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Virgin Voyages unveiled plans for a chic new terminal at PortMiami that its architects say was inspired by a palm grove.
The unconventional terminal is an open design with slanted silver pillars topped by flat roof planes, enclosed by sheets of glass. The phrase “Let’s Voyage” in oversized letters appears on the water side of the 100,000-square-foot structure.
Virgin will squeeze into the space on the very west end of the port closest to downtown Miami. The berth, currently Terminal H, is too small for many current ships and is used irregularly. A Miami-Bimini ferry currently uses the berth.
The terminal’s rooftop is designed to resemble a palm tree grove with rooftop pockets that allow natural light to flow into the building by day and accommodate up-lighting by night that will illuminate the company’s Virgin Voyages red logo.
Arquitectonica, which has designed a number of buildings in Miami, did the design.
Virgin’s first ship plans to start using the terminal in November 2021. A memorandum of understanding for the terminal and a long-term berthing agreement will be submitted to the Miami Dade County Commission.
Bookings for Virgin’s inaugural season will open Feb. 5 for those with pre-sale deposits and on Feb. 14 for the general public.
Virgin said its second ship will be based in Miami, starting in the fall of 2022.
The new terminal was unveiled at a news conference at PortMiami, which only a few weeks ago opened Royal Caribbean’s high-concept Terminal A, the new home for the Symphony of the Seas.
Other expensive new terminals are already in the works at PortMiami for Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line.
Source: travelweekly.com