Self-Guided Miami South Beach Art Deco Tour - Mar 13 2010

Saturday, Mar 13 2010

Winter Haven Hotel - 1400 Ocean Dr

Designed in 1939 by architect Albert Anis (1889-1964), one of a group of American architects who was pivotal in the formation of the South Beach cityscape of today. While others were ornate in their approach, austerity was Anis’ middle name, evident in the Winterhaven, along with his other creations, the Leslie, the Abbey, and the Temple Emanuel.
By this time, labor unions had emerged, securing higher wages for the working classes, who were able to escape the grey work-a-day world of the Northeast to take Florida vacations. This development allowed these hotels to flourish, also allowing small business owners to migrate south and start their own accommodations in South Miami Beach.

Commodore Apartments - 1360 Collins Ave

Built in 1936 and designed by Henry Hohauser, it was made from inexpensive materials, featuring concrete block facades. This Art Deco creation is rich in ornamentals specific to the period: eyebrows, curved corners, and four round emblems, called “bosses” descending along the side, which provided an “odd charm” to the place, but also fodder for the anti-preservationists, who claimed that “eyesores” like this weren’t worth preserving.

US Post Office - 1300 Washington Ave


This building was manufactured in a “stripped classic” design, in a style known as Depression Moderne. By 1977, it had seen better days, and the MDPL petitioned the federal government to refurbish it. That they did, and what we have today is perhaps one of the most striking of its kind.
Inside, muralist Charles Hardman, with funding from the WPA, created an elaborate painting of Ponce de Leon’s invasion of Florida. Overhead, the ceiling mural features a radiant sun, ablaze in a forest green sky.

Cardozo Hotel South Beach - 1300 Ocean Dr

Look for the brain coral embedded in the railing and columns at the Cardozo Hotel, a 1939 gem owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.
Built in 1939 and designed by architect Henry Hohauser. Here we learn that while many of the local hotels were named after establishments in New York and daughters of the designers, the Cardozo Hotel got its name from Benjamin Cardozo, one of the first Jewish jurors appointed to the US Supreme Court. The Cardozo was the site of the first Deco weekend, and housed the original offices of Barbara Capitman. The architecture here is very rounded, like the fender of an old Studebaker, and features Keystone trim, which, while dyed and made to look like marble, is actually a porous limestone.

The Carlyle Ocean Drive - 1250 Ocean Dr


Check out the art deco curves.
The Leslie and Carlyle Hotels, though close in proximity, were designed by different architects. Both exemplify typical Art Deco design, featuring horizontal bonding, windows in bands, eyebrows (concrete overhangs) above the windows, and strong verticals in front. Whereas the Leslie was more functional and basic, the Carlyle was more rounded and “exuberant”, with streamlining used to convey a sense of speed, “sweeping” eyebrows, and the rule of 3: three strong vertical elements in front, which wrap around the building like ribbons. Though the recording doesn’t inform you of this fact—I suspect it may have been recorded in the early 90’s -you might be interested in knowing that the 1996 Robin Williams/Nathan Lane movie “The Birdcage” was filmed at the Carlyle.

Leslie Hotel - 1244 Ocean Dr


The Tides South Beach - 1220 Ocean Dr

A severe art deco monolith designed in 1936 by L. Murray Dixon, with porthole windows at the entrance to the 12-story tower.

Hotel Victor - 1144 Ocean Dr


Architect L. Murray Dixon designed this 1937 Ocean Drive landmark, and it quickly made its way into the luxury boutique market. After falling on hard times in the 60’s, the establishment came back to life, courtesy of a $48 million makeover by internationally-renowned decorator Jacques Garcia, in 2003. Today, Hotel Victor hires its own “vibe manager”, a concierge who ensures that a “hip and comfortable” feel is maintained at all times, inspiring your mood by “stimulating sound, scent and sight.”
It offers a number of extras to achieve this end in its 88-room property. First, there is Vue, a loungy terrace overlooking bustling Ocean Drive from a tranquil, 2nd story perch. The indoor/outdoor space offers informal dining, exotic furnishings, and a dazzling array of audio and visual effects.
For a more upscale dining experience, there is Vix, an elegant restaurant in muted gold and beige, as well as V Bar, where you can sample their signature vodka libations while gazing at their tank of pulsing jellyfish.

Versace House-Casa Casuarina - 1114 Ocean Drive

The “Amsterdam Palace”, Versace’s own Casa Casuarina. The present site had formerly been a dilapidated apartment building. The Preservation League, initially enthused by Versace’s purchase and renovation of the building in 1992, was quickly disappointed when the fashion designer announced that he intended to demolish the neighboring Revere Hotel in order to construct a swimming pool and a garage. Aside from its infamous associations with Versace’s murder, this building also stands out as evidence that South Beach’s landscape isn’t limited to Deco creations: Mediterranean Revival thrives here as well, a reminder of an earlier period no less abundant in epicurean appeal.
The MDPL sued Versace, eventually agreeing to settle the matter out of court, with the stipulated compromise that the city would enact more stringent laws protecting other Art Deco structures in the surrounding area. Thus, one building was sacrificed so that 200 or so others might be protected.

Old City Hall - 1130 Washington Ave

After the 1926 hurricane, real estate developer Carl Fisher (for whom Fisher Island was named) reconstructed the City Hall as a way of showing that Miami Beach would come back. It was constructed in a Mediterranean Neo-Classical design, with four urns placed in the topmost balcony, in defiance of future hurricanes. They’re still there, apparently unmoved by any successive storms, which, unfortunately, is more than I can say for the building beneath. It appears to be undergoing some intense renovations, with no end in sight. Likewise, the optimistic Mr. Fisher lost his fortunes after the stock market crash in 1929, and finished off his days living in a small cottage in Miami Beach, where he supported himself by doing odd jobs for friends. Quite an unassuming end for the man who’d been pivotal in the creation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and promoter of the 1920s Florida Land Boom, at which time his net worth had been near $100 million! By the 70’s this City Hall was replaced by a larger building, located at 1700 Convention Center Drive.

Washington Storage Building - Wolfsonian Museum - 1001 Washington Ave

Transformation in 1997 into the Wolfsonian Museum, a collection of late 19th to mid-20th century decorative and propaganda arts, run by Florida International University. Prior to its use in the early 90’s as a private collection for the founder Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., it served as a warehouse for the citizens of Miami Beach. Wealthy northerners could safely store their valuables in this secure Mediterranean Revival structure, during their extended visits to this then-untamed jungle.

Sherbrooke Hotel - 901 Collins Ave


A study in contrasts: the Coral Rock House (900 Collins) and the Sherbrooke Hotel.

Sadly, the Coral Rock House, originally built in 1915 and once the home of Avery Smith, operator of the first ferry service between Miami and Miami Beach, is all but destroyed. The back and sides have been completely demolished, leaving only the front wall facing Collins Avenue. While the coral facade in front would be preserved, the rest of the property is being cleared to make way for a condo and shopping complex.
The site of this historic building in tatters is a reminder that the Preservation League’s powers are not all-encompassing. The Coral Rock House’s construction was typical of buildings from the 19th century, while the Sherbrooke across the street, built in 1947, was the poster child of Nautical Deco. Indeed, with its portholes and silver railings, it looks like it is about to set sail.

Waldorf Towers Hotel - 860 Ocean Dr

Recognizable by its signature watchtower, this feature was actually condemned at one point and taken down, only to be later replaced. Its colorful facade, a mix of pink and yellow and cream, drew its inspiration from the palette of Leonard Horowitz, who envisioned South Beach as an adult playground, which, “unlike the manufactured environments of places like Disneyworld and Epcot, is a real neighborhood, a setting which, while possessing the convenience of the 80’s, would retain the rich atmosphere of the 30’s.” Unfortunately, Leonard Horowitz didn’t live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his efforts: he died in 1989.

The Hotel, formerly Tiffany Hotel - 801 Collins Ave

Another much-photographed (lobby) haunt of the jet-set crowd is the hotel, a 53-room study in minimalist geometric symmetry and texture, complemented by an inner tropical garden setting. Designer Todd Oldham transformed this 1939 relic into a sight to behold, in a palette reflecting sand, sea and sky. The rooms feature unique touches such as rain-head showers, hand airbrushed tiles and satin-ribboned pillows, while its rooftop deck, home of the Spire Bar & Lounge, provides dramatic sea views where you can catch the sun rising and setting while you frolic in its sparkling pool.
Terrazo floors in the lobby give way to an artistic display of mosaic wall mirrors and an interior garden which is the setting for the al fresco Wish restaurant, which offers American cuisine with eclectic global touches.
A child of 1939, it flaunted eyebrows, rounded corners and streamlined design. Designed by architect Al Murray Dixon, the Tiffany is less whimsical and more Buck Rogers. With its dramatic spire on top, it looked like a prop from an old sci-fi serial, a space vessel, ready to take flight. These spired buildings, once common on Collins, are presently all but extinct.

The Blackstone - 800 Washington Ave

Rising high in the distance with a long-forsaken clock dial on its tower is the Blackstone Hotel, one block away on 8th St., once a popular lodging spot for Jewish and African American visitors. It was here that George Gershwin was said to have composed part of the musical Porgy & Bess. When the early developers envisioned Miami as a playground for the wealthy, the narrative laments, it was one in which only the non-Jewish rich were allowed to participate. Most properties north of 12th Street were designated as “gentiles only”, while in South beach - especially the area below 5th St - welcomed tourists, residents and property owners who were Jewish. These people played a significant role in the development of South Beach as we know it today, “a neighbourhood that knows no misfits.

Park Central Hotel - 700 Ocean Dr

Built in 1937 and renovated in 1987, it was the first hotel to be returned to its original splendor. The hotel was a hangout for Hollywood stars, such as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Rita Hayworth. Also in the 700 block of Ocean Drive: the wedding cake-like 1936 Beacon Hotel (720) and the 1935 Colony Hotel (736), with its prominent sign and neon accents.

Known as the blue jewel of Ocean Drive, the Park Central is said by many to have been Hohauser’s greatest contribution. It features 3 octagonal portholes above the door, bosses, horizontal striping (instead of eyebrows) and vibrant coloring: periwinkle blue, with sea green trim, mimicking the natural world surrounding it. It was here where I learned of Leonard Horowitz and his color palette: during his tenure on the MDPL, Mr. Horowitz selected 36 pastel colors, which were required by city ordinance to appear on all the local buildings.

Majestic South Beach Hotel - 660 Ocean Dr

Designed in 1940, this Albert Anis creation abandoned horizontal linkage and eyebrows in favour of a mimicry of the pre-deco Vienna Succession style, with rectolinear windows and arched cornices, seemingly straight out of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Despite this digression, it maintains a style which looks decidedly Deco.