Designed by Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture, construction on American Airlines Arena began in 1998, and the entertainment facility opened its doors on December 31, 1999. On January 2, 2000, the arena hosted the first game for the Miami Heat — a National Basketball Association (NBA) expansion team that was formed in 1988 — and it remains the team’s home today. With a prime location along the Biscayne Bay in Downtown Miami, the arena is visited by thousands of patrons each game — including many high-profile customers and celebrities. To cater to its upscale clientele, 80 luxury suites were recently renovated — including the addition of Silestone countertops by Cosentino of Stafford, TX.

Measuring approximately 600 square feet, each suite has a spacious layout that provides a hip and comfortable environment to watch an NBA game. A large bar, plenty of seating areas, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and flat screen televisions all contribute to the posh ambience. The sleek look of the Silestone countertops further adds to the overall design.

According to Jesus Garcia of Stone Systems of Miami, FL, the stone fabricator for the project, the color “Stellar Night” from the “Stellar Series” was chosen for the countertops, which have a thickness of ¾ of an inch. “It’s black with mirrored speckles in it, so it goes with the color of the Miami Heat uniforms,” he said. “It’s a nice color and everyone loves it.”

Garcia explained that Stellar Night Silestone was used in all of the luxury suites as well as for all bar tops throughout the arena. The consistent color — with a touch of sparkle — brings a contemporary look to the arena.

“We showed them the product, and they liked it,” said Garcia, adding that Stone Systems has also done fabrication for several of the players’ homes. “We did all of the templating and fabrication. One of the main reasons we were chosen [for the project] was because of our facility. We are a green facility and have state-of-the-art machinery.” In total, Stone Systems had about six installers on the jobsite to complete the work, which took about four months.

American Airlines Arena Luxury Suites Miami, FL Quartz Fabricator/Installer: Stone Systems, Miami, FL Quartz Manufacturer: Cosentino, Stafford, TX