BETA
Chapter 1
The birth of Tropical Deco
Chapter 2
The dark ages and the threat of the bulldozer
Chapter 3
The pastel revolution of Barbara and Leonard
Chapter 4
Pop culture to the rescue
Chapter 5
How to read a South Beach building
YOUR GOAL
Master of South Beach Art Deco
Ch 2 · The dark ages and the threat of the bulldozer
andy South Beach Art Deco
We painted the towers in peach and pink to keep the wrecking balls away
andy A small group of passionate activists united in 1976 to fight the developers and save the historic buildings.
andy In the 1970s, developers planned to demolish the entire Art Deco district to build massive, modern high-rises.
Fun Fact
Historic designation: The South Beach Art Deco district was the first 20th-century neighborhood ever added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Glossary
demolition (noun)
The act or process of tearing down or destroying a building or other structure. In 1988, the demolition of the Senator Hotel catalyzed intense local activism to protect Miami's historic architecture.
The act or process of tearing down or destroying a building or other structure. In 1988, the demolition of the Senator Hotel catalyzed intense local activism to protect Miami's historic architecture.
Quiz
What did developers want to build in place of the historic South Beach Art Deco hotels in the late 1970s?
Quiz
What color were most South Beach Art Deco buildings painted during their period of neglect in the 1970s?
Quiz
What is the official name of the organization founded in 1976 to save Miami Beach's historic architecture?
Quiz
Who were the primary residents occupying the cheap, run-down South Beach hotels during the early 1970s?
Quiz
In what decade did South Beach face the greatest threat of total demolition by real estate developers?
Quiz
In what year did the South Beach Art Deco district win its spot on the National Register of Historic Places?