On our last day, I went to the Art Deco Center and rented the self-guided tour. It was a compact tour in the heart of South Beach and I learned so much about the history of the area, and how the fabled hotels came into being. Most of the hotels were built during the depths of the Depression, after the 1926 hurricane wiped out Miami Beach. They were built with simple materials – mostly block and stucco and were really very modest. The “target market” was the emerging middle class of small entrepreneurs and union workers. Yep – thanks again to the labor movement for fair wages, 40 hour work weeks and paid vacations! Who wouldn’t want to get away from the cold and snow for the warmth and sunshine of Miami Beach?
I learned a lot about the architects, and the different details of the buildings, such as the “eyebrows” above the windows meant to provide shade, or how things are often grouped in threes (of course!) and how the changing technology of building allowed windows to wrap corners. Next time we visit – and there will be a next – I will photograph the neon at night and go into some of the lobbies.
In the meantime, here’s a visual orgy of SoBe hotels. Enjoy!
I love the fonts, and the names of the hotels. Almost every building has a name – even the residential!
Church of One 