It doesn’t seem as though any of the $470 million that went into the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts was wasted and it is a great example of cultural centres in Miami. It’s all evident in the details and in the larger-than-life presence of this lovely complex, which appears as a well-lit off-kilter stack of books or a well-behaved Frank Gehry construction as you approach from I-395. The main components are a ballet/opera house, a concert hall, a smaller theatre and an open plaza, but the Arsht Center also contains more than a few public art pieces and another winning Barton G.-backed restaurant. Cultured residents and visitors may be treated to a performance by the New World Symphony, the Miami City Ballet or a touring Broadway show on any given night, and the whole plot was developed to serve as a destination for an entire evening.