I don’t love high-end buildings just because of their price tags. Usually, the architecture sets them apart. Such is the case with the curvy Apogee condominium in Miami Beach’s tony South of Fifth section on the south end of the island.

Sure, Apogee is high end. The highest, in fact. At one point, Florida’s most expensive condominium listing was in this building.

“Apogee” means the highest point, or, in this case, the highest price.

More Florida Buildings I Love 

No. 17: ‘Sails’ give Sarasota’s Palm Ave. Garage cachet (2010, Sarasota)

No. 128: Old Charlotte County Courthouse, 1928, Punta Gorda

With 8,700 square feet of interior space and 21,000 square feet including terraces, the three-level penthouse was listed in December 2016 for $65 million. It sits atop a 20-story building that stands out for understated yet sophisticated elegance among Miami’s forest of “top-this” architectural expressions.

It didn’t fetch that ambitious price. According to Miami-Dade County property records, William Duker, who purchased the unit for $16.5 million in 2008, still owns it.

Architect Charles Sieger – a major star on the Miami scene, if not one of the out-of-town “starchitects” who have been hired to meet Miami’s seemingly insatiable appetite for landmarks – gets the credit for this one.

Notably, the north side has a concave profile that creates dynamic spatial experiences from abundant terraces for the lucky, or just rich, residents. The building’s facade is dominated by its terraces. Its location permits dramatic views northward of the full length of the Miami Beach skyline.

The building sits above the landscape on piloti, pier-like devices that were popularized by Le Corbusier and Paul Rudolph decades ago.

Developed by The Related Group, South Florida’s best-known high-rise developer, Apogee has 67 units. As of early August, three are on the market: one for $9.25 million, another for $16.2 million and a third for $25 million. Prefer to rent such splendor? One unit is listed on Apogee’s website for a cool $50,000 a month.

Sieger's firm, Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership, also designed the nearby Icon South Beach and Portofino Tower, among other Miami Beach landmarks.

“Florida Buildings I Love” is Harold Bubil’s homage to the Sunshine State’s built environment. This story, which originally ran on April 5, 2017, has been updated.  

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Miami Beach high-rise has soaring visual lines – and sky-high prices