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 1 · The birth of Tropical Deco
andy Pop the pastel bubbles to discover how these colors saved South Beach from demolition.
andy Architects in Miami Beach borrowed design elements from luxury ocean liners to make landlocked hotels feel like glamorous sea voyages.
andy Before modern air conditioning, South Beach architects used clever design features to keep indoor spaces cool naturally.
Fun Fact
Nautical hotels: Many Miami Beach Art Deco hotels were designed to look like cruise ships because ocean travel was considered the ultimate luxury in the 1930s.
Glossary
tropical deco (noun)
An architectural style that adapts traditional Art Deco elements to seaside environments using pastel colors and regional motifs. During the 1930s, Miami Beach architects popularized this style by incorporating regional marine and floral motifs.
An architectural style that adapts traditional Art Deco elements to seaside environments using pastel colors and regional motifs. During the 1930s, Miami Beach architects popularized this style by incorporating regional marine and floral motifs.
Quiz
In which European city did the Art Deco design movement officially launch at a world's fair in 1925?
Quiz
Which luxury mode of transportation heavily inspired the portholes and railings of South Beach's Tropical Deco style?
Quiz
What cheap, local material did Miami architects use in the 1930s instead of expensive European marble?
Quiz
During which major economic downturn of the 20th century was the majority of South Beach's Art Deco district constructed?
Quiz
What specific regional variation of Art Deco developed in Miami Beach, featuring marine life and tropical flora motifs?
Quiz
What ancient architectural shape inspired the stepped, tower-like tops of many South Beach Art Deco hotels?
Quiz
What is the purpose of the concrete 'eyebrows' projecting over windows on South Beach Art Deco buildings?