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| Aerial view of Art Deco area - Florida State Archives |
In May 1979 one square mile was designated “Old Miami
Beach,” a historic preservation area comprising more than 1,600 buildings from
the 1920s and 30s. Registered with the National Register of Historic Places,
the area covers one fifth of the city from 6th to 23rd streets
between Ocean Avenue and Alton Road.
Many refer to the area as the Art Deco District. Linear
symmetry, gaudy ornamentation, and spires characterize many of the buildings of
the Art Deco style. Most structures were built of Keystone, a limestone
quarried in Florida. Roots of the term art deco came from the 1925 Paris Exposition
Internationale des Arts Décoratifs. The term
entered the English lexicon in the late 1960s.
The assorted architects of the buildings, which included
Henry Hohauser, Roy France, L. Murray Dixon (and others) were not aware they
were employing any particular style, nor did residents in Miami Beach, until
the arrival of Barbara Capitman in 1973.
Capitman was a New York design journalist who saw something in
Miami Beach that many did not – a distinctive style. For her, the buildings –
hotels, apartment buildings and theaters - defined the city. She became the
driving force behind the movement, along with friend Leonard Horowitz, to preserve
the Art Deco District.
Miami Beach was inert in the late 1970s; one hotel was built
in the late 60s but many of the old buildings were occupied by elderly
residents. A battle against developers, some long-time residents, and old-time
hotel owners ensued to preserve the area with its distinct architecture. When
it was over, the federal government certified 400 buildings as historic. Federal tax incentives were made available to
those who renovated and rehabilitated their buildings in the historic style.
Buildings could be knocked down but advance notice would have to be given and incentives
would be taken away.
Some hotels were renovated and revived, beginning in the early 1980s; others
were revived and then shuttered. Old Miami Beach has seen its ups and downs and
buildings have seen their share of serial owners but South Beach is now viewed
as one of the trendiest, most sophisticated destinations and night spots in the
United States, with emphasis on youth, sophisticated dining and entertainment.
Thanks, Barbara Capitman (d.1990) and friend, Leonard
Horowtiz (d. 1988) and legions of others who worked with them to preserve Art
Deco architecture, ensuring Miami Beach’s place in history.
Sources:
Kleinberg, Howard. Woggles
and Cheese Houses. Miami Beach: The Greater Miami Beach Hotel Association
(2005).
Miami News, May 15, 1979
Miami News, Dec. 26, 1987
Tags: Art Deco Miami Beach, Miami
Beach history, Miami Beach hotels, Miami Beach architects, film research, Miami Beach history
