Designs have been approved for a new, state-of-the-art cruise terminal at PortMiami following an agreement between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Miami-Dade County, it was announced on June 28.

In a press release, global cruise company Royal Caribbean announced that a new 170,000-square-foot terminal had been approved at the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami, aka PortMiami. The terminal will also feature a thousand-space car park, loading bays and passenger drop-off points including taxi and bus stops.

Royal Caribbean estimates that the project will have an estimated economic impact of $500 million and generate approximately 4,000 jobs.

Broadway Malyan and the approved designs

Winners of the design competition were architectural firm Broadway Malyan, who were selected from five of the most prominent architectural groups from around the world. The selection marks the first time that Broadway Malyan has been chosen for a project in North America. Previous projects include: The Tower, One St. George Wharf, London; Lisbon International Airport, Portugal; New Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq; and Trump Tower, Makati City, the Philippines.

Broadway Malyan’s proposal was selected from the other four firms due to its “creative thinking and cutting-edge design.” Their approved terminal has been called “The Crown of Miami” due to its shape when viewed from the water. From the east or west, the building evokes the letter M (for Miami), and from the terminal the different angles give the impression of “waves rising or ships passing.”

The design also proposes several sustainability-focused features such as rainwater collection and recycling, with the structure produced using simple, cost-effective and efficient materials.

Royal Caribbean Cruises invests in Miami waterfront

Royal Caribbean has also announced a further investment at PortMiami in the form of a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab next to its headquarters, at an estimated cost of $20 million. The Miami port currently welcomes 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, which represents around 15 percent of the entire company’s passenger traffic.

Construction of the terminal is expected to begin in early 2017, and operational by late 2018.