"He had just sold his fashion brand, Via Vai, after which he spent four years growing roses at his home in Uruguay. Born into a family of Syrian immigrants and with a Sephardic Jewish surname, those four years were enough to generate a new idea. On the one hand, he wanted to build a luxury residential project in that wasteland, and, on the other, he wanted to attract global talent."
"To Starck he sent dramatic postcards: Argentina needs you. Creative souls recognize each other instantly, he maintains. He and his partners built Puerto Madero and in 20 years turned it into one of the most desirable residential areas in the city."
"Nobody believed in this project, only us, Faena told EL PAIS. We've helped elevate Miami, we're part of the shift in how the city is perceived. There's no need to elevate New York, but Faena is there, between the High Line."
Alan Faena, a 62-year-old urban developer, aims to restore New York's reputation as the city that never sleeps through a dramatic hotel project in West Chelsea featuring a speakeasy and variety theater. His track record demonstrates urban transformation expertise: he revitalized Puerto Madero, a deteriorated Buenos Aires port area, into a desirable residential district by collaborating with designers Philippe Starck and Norman Foster. Later, he transformed Miami's depressed Mid Beach into the Faena District Miami, a cultural hub centered around a luxury hotel hosting major events like Art Basel parties. Born into a Syrian immigrant family, Faena spent four years cultivating roses in Uruguay before launching his transformative projects, believing creative talent recognizes and attracts other creative talent.
Read at english.elpais.com
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