Render of the Cipriani Residences Miami building in Florida, US. (Image courtesy Cipriani Residences Miami)

Construction Briefing got an exclusive inside look at the emerging South Florida skyscraper, meeting with two key stakeholders on the US$600-million build.

Once complete, Cipriani will be among the tallest towers in the state 鈥� it would be the tallest if not for the development of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences tower, which is slated for completion the same year as Cipriani but is designed at more than 320m.

The Cipriani project is under development by Mast Capital, a Miami-based real estate investment and development firm. Moss & Associates (Moss), a national construction management company headquartered in Florida, is serving as general contractor. Tekton Construction, also based in Miami, is providing turnkey concrete services as the project鈥檚 structural shell subcontractor.

While Moss was not directly interviewed for this update, the company previously spoke with Construction Briefing for a feature on the tower鈥檚 16-hour foundation pour, offering insight into early-stage sequencing and logistical prep.

Speaking with Carlos Casal, executive vice president of construction at Mast Capital, and Gabe Hernandez, owner of Tekton, Construction Briefing got an updated inside look at the project鈥檚 current construction methods, structural coordination, and the logistical realities of building a high-rise of this scale in a dense urban district.

Cipriani tower timeline, construction-changes at height

Construction is underway for the Cipriani Residences Miami in the US. Image: Mast Capital

鈥淩ight now, the tower is taking shape,鈥� Casal told Construction Briefing in mid-May. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working on the 18th floor, and it鈥檚 really starting to look like the design is coming through.鈥�

A key strategy for build teams has been use of a hydraulic slip form system for the core. Instead of relying on traditional gang form systems, the team is using a self-climbing platform that jacks the core independently.

鈥淭he crane is completely independent of the formwork,鈥� Hernandez added. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to fly forms up and down the building. The hydraulic system creates a platform we can store equipment on, and it moves more precisely; there鈥檚 a lot less remedial work afterward.鈥�

Tekton is using a combination of owned and leased formwork. He noted the vertical formwork systems were from Austria-based specialist Doka, including the brand鈥檚 Super Climber SCP. The build is also relying on Doka鈥檚 Framax Wall Formwork Panels, which are suspended from a steel structure during construction.

A project representative added, 鈥淲hat makes the SCP system so unique is that the entire core formwork is hydraulically raised independent of the crane. At the push of a button, all platforms, along with the interior and exterior formwork for an entire floor are raised in one single cylinder stroke. Slipform involves continuously pouring of the Shearwalls elevation multiple levels ahead of the slabs without the use of tower cranes.鈥�

As construction progresses upward, the project team is already preparing for more complex structural conditions between levels 35 and 39.

鈥淭hose floors have a lot of belt trusses that get encased in concrete, and that requires a lot of bracing,鈥� said Hernandez. 鈥淪o, we鈥檙e only jacking the centre of the core, and we鈥檙e bringing it up that way for the entire project. We won鈥檛 have to take it apart and reassemble it later.鈥�

Perpetual pour: 16-hour foundation job for Miami high-rise Construction crews worked 16 straight hours to pour the concrete foundation of Miami鈥檚 upcoming high-rise in the US

Structural coordination between contractors, engineers, and fabricators has been critical, particularly in aligning steel components across vertical systems.

鈥淔or example, there鈥檚 Nelson studs on level nine that need to line up with level 35 so our reinforcing steel can go in between,鈥� Hernandez explained. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been coordinating this for six to seven months already.鈥�

The 37th floor will be a major inflection point. It houses both an interstitial mechanical level and a speakeasy-style tavern with a revised floor plate and a variety of MEP systems to support the upper floors.

鈥淯p to 35, every floor is repetitive 鈥� the plumbing risers, the mechanical risers, everything stacks,鈥� Casal said. 鈥淭hen we hit 37, and everything changes. The trades have to stop, reset, retool.鈥�

Workers on-site for the Cipriani tower construction in Miami. Image: Mast Capital

Beyond that, the project becomes simpler structurally but more demanding logistically as interior trades move in.

鈥淥nce we pass those complicated levels, I would basically run as fast as you can while being safe and maintaining the quality until you get to the top,鈥� Hernandez said.

A project representative noted that the completion of levels seven and eight marked a major milestone in overall construction progress.

These amenity levels include multiple pools and spas, requiring extensive coordination between the general contractor, trade contractors, and the design team. The team also successfully installed massive structural steel plates 鈥� each weighing over 18,000 lbs 鈥� that pass through the shear walls on seven and eight.

With level-eight complete, the self-climbing slip form system has taken over for construction of the shear walls, allowing for faster floor-to-floor pour cycles. The start of level-nine was the first typical residential floor, but also marked the beginning of the signature balcony curves that define the tower鈥檚 design.

To date, approximately 26,000 yd³ of concrete has been poured, with level-eight alone comprising roughly 500 yd³. The team installed around 7,500 tons of reinforcement steel across nearly 2,600 truckloads.

Tight urban environment no problem for Cipriani build

Cipriani tower construction Image: Mast Capital

From a logistics standpoint, the team acknowledged the site is unusually favourable for a downtown project; due to an open adjacent lot (owned by one of Mast鈥檚 partners), storage and staging has been ideal.

鈥淲e were able to rent the lot next door,鈥� Casal noted. 鈥淔rom a logistics standpoint, it鈥檚 probably the best job I have right now. We have great staging, we鈥檙e prefabbing our vertical steel on-site, and we can stay two or three floors ahead.鈥�

He added that the ability to fabricate steel on-site offers a buffer against potential supplier delays. 鈥淥n another job, if you don鈥檛 have the steel, you鈥檙e stuck. Here, we can keep moving.鈥�

Up next for Miami鈥檚 Cipriani tower

Crews work on the Cipriani tower project in Florida, US. Image: Mast Capital

Casal again pointed to a shift in focus as the tower tops out.

鈥淕etting elevators started is super important, but you鈥檝e also got a dozen interior trades that need to get into the building, and that process is just starting now.鈥�

The teams expect to reach the 37th floor by September.

Interior build-out will ramp up in parallel with structural topping out. Contractors will begin work on high-end finishes, MEP system integration, and final fa莽ade elements. While elevator installation will be critical for vertical access, so too will be the sequencing of dozens of subcontractors as they transition from exterior work to interiors.

Tekton is expected to remain involved through structural top-out, with trades such as drywall, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and glazing subcontractors already engaged or preparing to mobilise. The general contractor, Moss, is coordinating this turnover in collaboration with Mast Capital鈥檚 internal construction team.

As of now, the Cipriani Residences Miami is projected to complete in 2028, in line with developer forecasts.

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