A concept project for an architectural competition. The idea of the project is subjected to three main factors, the first one being the immediate proximity of the civic center to the ocean, which imposes the need to explore a sea model for a design prototype. The second factor is the center’s importance. Located in the sea capital of the USA and close to the biggest cruise harbor in the country, the civic center will influence the tourists’ perception of Miami and USA as a whole, which means looking for a prototype of American symbolism. Last but not least comes the ambition to put everything under one roof so that the access from one point of the complex to another will be in a conditioned atmosphere, sheltered from sun/rain/wind. All three factors can be united by the prototype of the sea star