Standing as a focal point to the airport, the new Central Chiller Plant East Expansion makes both strong and dynamic architectural and engineering statements. Acknowledging the magnitude of the program requirements for delivering chilled water to the entire airport complex, the architecture captures the scale of the function and the equipment it houses.  With bold definition delineating various modular components, the white concrete and ceramic tile and glass facades allow the complex, yet organized, interior to playfully welcome the interest of the passerby.

The Chiller Plant will ultimately be one of the “10 largest chiller plants in the world”. With an ultimate capacity of some 40,000 tons of refrigeration, undoubtedly, Central Chiller Plant East will be one of the largest, if not the largest chiller plant in the State of Florida. The expansion project consolidated and integrated the air conditioning requirements of the MIA complex to efficiently meet its current and future needs. The $50 million expansion of the Chiller Plant East Building from 7,500 tons of chilled water production capacity to a new capacity of 29,000 tons. The expansion included major modifications to the distribution piping system, including the addition of a 48-inch chilled water main. The project entailed the addition of three (3) 4000-ton open-drive centrifugal chillers with environmentally friendly refrigerant R-134a, and two (2) 1800-ton centrifugal chillers. The project also included a thermal-energy storage (TES) system of a 12,000-ton-Hour capacity as well as a primary/secondary chilled water pumping system and the addition of masonry, counter-flow cooling towers.