Miami Modern Architecture
Encyclopedia
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
as a resort vernacular unique to Miami and Miami Beach. It was a popular response to the various modernist and post world war architectural movements that were taking place in other parts of the world, adding glamour, fun, and material excess to otherwise stark, minimalist, and efficient styles. Miami Modernism was heavily concentrated in Middle and Upper Miami Beach along Collins Avenue
Collins Avenue
Collins Avenue runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, Florida, one block west. It is also State Road A1A. Collins Avenue was named for John S...
, as well as, along the Biscayne Boulevard corridor starting from around Midtown
Midtown Miami
Midtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
, through the Design District and into the Upper Eastside.
Today, the area along Biscayne Boulevard is the designated MiMo Biscayne Boulevard Historic District or also known as "MiMo on BiBo", for "Miami Modern on Biscayne Boulevard". MiMo Historic District runs roughly from 50th Street to 77th Street along Biscayne Boulevard, although MiMo can be found heavily in the Design District and Midtown
Midtown Miami
Midtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
. Many annual festivals are held to promote MiMo architecture, such as "Cinco de MiMo" a play on "Cinco de Mayo" in early May.
The umbrella term "Miami Modernism", or "MiMo" for short has only recently been coined to recognize this particular style native to Miami. The term was coined by Miami Beach resident Randall C. Robinson and interior designer Teri D'Amico. Prime examples of "MiMO" architecture include the Fontainebleau Hotel
Fontainebleau Hotel
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach or the Fontainebleau Hotel is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach. Opened in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was considered the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach, and is thought to be the most significant...
, Eden Roc
Eden Roc (hotel)
The Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel Miami Beach is a resort and spa located at 4525 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach, Florida. It was designed by Morris Lapidus, in the Miami Modern style, and opened in 1956...
, Seacoast Towers, Deauville, and Di Lido hotels by famed architect Morris Lapidus
Morris Lapidus
Morris Lapidus was the architect of Neo-baroque Miami Modern hotels that has since come to define the 1950s resort-hotel style synonymous with Miami and Miami Beach....
and Norman Giller's Carillon Hotel which was voted Miami Beach's "Hotel of the Year" in 1959, and the original Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
.
MiMo District
The MiMo District, also known as the Biscayne Boulevard Historic District, is a neighborhood in Miami. It lies within the larger enclave of Upper Eastside. It is bounded by the Little River to the north, Bay Point Estates to the south, the Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
to the west, and Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
to the east.
The name is an acronym for Miami Modern Architecture. There are many examples of the architecture within the district.
Partial list of MiMo buildings
- BacardiBacardiBacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
Building (Enrique Gutierrez, 1963) - 2100 Biscayne Boulevard - King Cole Condominium (Melvin Grossman, 1961) - 900 Bay Dr.
- Biscayne Plaza Shopping Center (Robert Fitch Smith, 1953) - 7900 Biscayne Boulevard
- New Yorker Boutique Hotel (Norman Giller, 1953) - 6500 Biscayne Boulevard
- The Creek South BeachThe Creek South BeachThe Creek South Beach is a 90 room motel located on Collins Avenue and 23rd Street Miami Beach, Florida. A classic and noteworthy example of Miami Modern Architecture situated just north of The Art Deco District, in the Collins Park Neighborhood and the CANDO in Miami Beach.The Creek South Beach,...
Motel (Originally Ankara Motel) (Reiff & Feldman, 1954) - 2360 Collins Avenue - Crystal House (Morris LapidusMorris LapidusMorris Lapidus was the architect of Neo-baroque Miami Modern hotels that has since come to define the 1950s resort-hotel style synonymous with Miami and Miami Beach....
, 1960) - 5055 Collins Avenue - Deco Palm Apartments (Gilbert Fein, 1958) – 6930 Rue Versailles
- Dupont Plaza Center (Petersen & Shuflin, 1957) - 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way (demolished in 2004 to give way to the EPIC Miami Residences and HotelEPIC Miami Residences and HotelEPIC Miami Residences and Hotel is a condo-hotel being constructed in Miami, Florida by Lionstone Hotels and Resorts. Lionstone bought the former DuPont Plaza Hotel in August 2001 with the intention of renovating it at a cost of $80 million, but instead demolished it between April 2004 and January...
). - International Inn (Melvin Grossman, 1956) - 2301 Normandy Drive, Normandy Isle
- Jackie GleasonJackie GleasonJackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
House (Lester Avery, 1959) – 2232 Alton Road - Lincoln RoadLincoln RoadLincoln Road is a pedestrian road running east-west between 16th Street and 17th Street in Miami Beach, Florida, United States. Once open to vehicular traffic, it now hosts a pedestrian row of shops, restaurants, galleries, and other businesses between Washington Avenue and Alton...
Mall (Morris Lapidus, 1960) - Miami Herald (Naess & Murphy, 1960) – One Herald Plaza
- Pepsi-Cola Bottling Pavilion (Daverman & Associates c: 1965) -7777 NW 41st Street
- Shalimar Motel (Edwin Reeder, 1950) - 6200 Biscayne Boulevard
- Simbad Motel (1953) - 6150 Biscayne Boulevard
- South Pacific Motel (1953) - 6300 Biscayne Boulevard
- Thunderbird Motel (Norman Giller, 1955) - 18401 Collins Avenue
- Union Planters Bank (Francis Hoffman, 1958) – 1133 Normandy Drive
- Vagabond Motel (Robert Swartburg, 1953) - 7301 Biscayne Boulevard
See also
- Design District
- Googie
- Midtown MiamiMidtown MiamiMidtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
- Upper Eastside
- Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic DistrictWildwoods Shore Resort Historic DistrictThe Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District, or Doo Wop Motel District, is an area in The Wildwoods, New Jersey, that was home to over 200 motels built during the Doo-Wop era of the 1950s and 1960s...
External links
- Vagabond Motel (Robert Swartburg, 1953)
- MiMo Historic District
- Miami Beach USA Article on MiMO Architecture with photos.
- Wides-Munoz, Laura (AP), Offbeat Miami: the Miami Modern District or MiMo, on ABC News Travel