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 5 · How to read a South Beach building
andy South Beach Art Deco
Count to three on the hotel walls! (Oh, three!) / The middle block stands tallest of them all! (Oh yeah!)
andy Art Deco buildings use balanced, repeating geometric elements to create a sense of order and modern speed.
andy Neon lighting transformed South Beach into a nighttime wonderland, highlighting the buildings' shapes after sunset.
Fun Fact
Terrazzo art: Terrazzo floors in South Beach hotels often feature custom designs like compasses or marine life, created by hand-laying brass strips before pouring the concrete.
Glossary
eyebrow (noun)
A protective canopy or ledge projecting over a window or door opening. In the 1930s, Henry Hohauser added these concrete features to block intense Florida sunlight from hotel rooms.
A protective canopy or ledge projecting over a window or door opening. In the 1930s, Henry Hohauser added these concrete features to block intense Florida sunlight from hotel rooms.
Quiz
Which of these animals is most commonly found depicted in the plaster reliefs of South Beach buildings?
Quiz
What futuristic 1930s technology was used to illuminate hotel names and geometric rooflines at night in South Beach?
Quiz
How are the custom artistic patterns in terrazzo floors, like compasses or waves, outlined before pouring the cement?
Quiz
What durable flooring material made of polished marble chips and cement is found in almost every South Beach Art Deco lobby?
Quiz
The combination of strong vertical lines and wrapping horizontal lines on Art Deco facades was meant to mimic what?
Quiz
What design style, a subset of Art Deco, emphasizes long horizontal lines and curving corners to mimic speed?