A Day Out in Miami: The Art Deco District

Alright, you’ve now rented a car and have some time to kill in Miami. You don’t feel like getting sand between your toes yet, where do you go? Travel in style in your Miami car rentals to the Art Deco district.

Next to its white sand beaches, the Art Deco District in the South Beach (SoBe) area is probably Miami’s second largest attraction. The Art Deco District consists of close to 800 different buildings all built in the Art Deco fashion in the 1920’s and 1930’s. It is the largest collection of art deco architecture anywhere in the world and all within one square mile. For some of us, it’s an interesting view of a whimsical architectural period, for others (who remember the clear plastic squares and orange carpet in our parent’s dining room) it’s a walk down memory lane.

The Art Deco District is unofficially framed by the Atlantic Ocean on the East, Alton Road on the West, 6th Street to the South and Dade Boulevard to the North. The most memorable of these buildings runs along Ocean Drive between 6th and 22nd street.

The Art Deco Welcome Center is located at 1001 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. This is a good place to start your journey. Their phone number is (305)672-2014. They offer 90 minute guided walking tours on Wednesday through Sunday starting at 10:30 am. The cost for this guided tour (in 2008) is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students.

In the late 1980’s, most of these buildings were repainted in a variety of pastel shades. This is not authentic and created the term Tropical Deco. If you are walking around unguided, some Tropical Deco features to look for include:

• Tropical Motifs including palm trees, orchids, flamingos and even alligators.
• Nautical Features including portholes and ship-railings.
• The various Pastel colors, most of these buildings were white when first built.
• Curves and lines which are the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
• Neon lighting used to outline architectural features.
• Chrome highlights again giving the building a modern appearance.
• Stucco Bas-Relief Friezes which mix both modern and more traditional themes.
• Towers – these are used to announce the name of the building and to give one a sense of magic or fantasy.
• Stylized, Geometric Patterning which are based in the Cubism art form.
• Glass Blocks which break up a wall while giving one a sense of light.

Again, if you are walking on your own, I would head to Ocean Drive. Some of the most well known buildings to look for along the drive would include (from North to South):

• Cavalier Hotel – A very traditional art deco building
• Cardozo Hotel – A very modern expression of art deco featuring round corners, streamlined racing stripes and marble flooring highlights.
• Leslie Hotel – The interior was recently upgraded and the outside features a soothing combination of cream white and yellow with grey accents.
• Clevelander Hotel – The bar here offers a tribute to the use of glass blocks. Classic art deco features here include the vertical fluting and tasteful geometric decorative highlights.
• Beach Patrol Station – Not officially on Ocean Drive but rather on the beach just off Ocean Drive. The Beach Patrol Stations are done up in fun pink and yellow motifs.
• Breakwater Hotel – The design here is very streamlined and modern. The Breakwater features a tower in the center of the building highlighting its name.
• Waldorf Towers – Done up in a nautical moderne theme and offers a very famous ornate tower which looks like a lighthouse.
• Colony Hotel – You’ve probably seen it’s famous neon blue sign fronting this hotel in many movies and tv shows.
• Beacon Hotel – Best known for its abstract geometric shaps and designs above the first floor.
• Park Central – Designed by a leading art deco designer, Henry Hohauser in 1937, this building offers another excellent example of the nautical design theme.
  

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