Hot-rolled, Solid Steel Windows Revolutionize Restaurant Design

Steel windows and doors to achieve a unique vision at Hillstone Restaurant Group’s new restaurant in Bal Harbour, Fla., and meet the stringent Miami-Dade impact and wind loading hurricane standards.

The restaurant is The Grill at Bal Harbour, the newest addition to the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops, a luxury shopping destination that attracts clientele from all over the world. Prominently situated atop the open-air mall’s main entrance, The Grill at Bal Harbour features steel windows and doors and a pocket door.

“Prominently” is an important element of this story because Bal Harbour, located on Miami Beach, is a place to see and be seen. For Rakesh Patel, the senior project architect for Hillstone, the first challenge was to transform the second floor’s “back wall” orientation into the “front and center” experience that mall patrons would expect.

“Architecturally, the space had a ‘bird’s nest perch’ quality to it, which was enhanced using the large-winged roof overhang and the wrap-around operable glazing system,” says Patel. He describes the windows as simple with mid-century modern lines and steel rolled sections and maximum glazing to make the building as transparent as possible.

In fact, Patel’s design offers numerous lines of sight, providing a dining experience appropriate to the shopping experience. The 594.6 m² (6,400 sf) restaurant’s exterior view takes in the mall’s lush landscape, including koi ponds and palm trees, while the interior showcases an exhibition kitchen.

Throughout, as with the preparation of the food, craftsmanship reigns supreme.

Patel says, “The texture of the solid hot-rolled steel window frames offers a tactile, artisan sense, especially when experienced up close.”

The strength of solid hot-rolled steel frames allowed for the creation of a 90-degree butt glazed corner to complement the open-air design. Custom designed and engineered vertical sliding windows transform the entire space from a beautiful enclosed facility to an outdoor dining experience at a moment’s notice.

This series of steel windows and doors features solid hot-rolled steel profiles to achieve the narrowest frame dimensions and maximum glass area, producing the best views.

The Grill at Bal Harbour has since been renamed Hillstone at Bal Harbour.