Miami’s Art Deco Style: Past and Present

Miami is famous for many things: pristine beaches, fine dining, buzzy nightclubs, and an established art scene. But another thing that makes this city unique is its Art Deco architecture. According to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Miami has one of the highest concentrations of Art Deco buildings in the country, with over 800 buildings located in Miami’s Art Deco District. From posh post offices to historic South Beach hotels, we take a look at how the flashy architectural style has come to define Miami.

Miami’s Famous Art Deco Buildings
Characterized by pastel shades, geometric shapes, and neon lighting, the Art Deco style originated in the 1920s and took off in the United States in the 1930s. Some of the other hallmarks of the Art Deco style include clean lines, the repetition of symmetry, and the use of gold and silver ornaments, which are found on many of Miami’s iconic Art Deco buildings.

One of the best examples of Art Deco style is Miami’s Bass Museum, which was designed by architect Russel Pancoast. The 1930s-era structure used to be a public library until art collectors Jonanna and John Bass donated their private collection to Miami Beach in 1964. The low, square-shaped building has a staggered roofline and thin rectangular windows, and depictions of boats and pelicans carved into the limestone exterior above the museum’s entrance.

The Colony Theater on Lincoln Road is another Art Deco gem. The theater first opened as Paramount Pictures Movie Theater in 1935 and recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation that restored the theater’s Art Deco elements in the entrance and lobby. The theater’s facade features distinctive curved neon lights, and the lobby features gleaming terrazzo tile and a pastel-colored bird mural.

And another unique testament to the Art Deco style is the Miami Beach Post Office. In what might be one of the most extravagant post offices in Florida, the building features a rotunda with a gold-painted ceiling, a working fountain, and gold-toned post office boxes. The post office was designed in 1937 by Chicago architect Howard Lovewell Cheney and is still in operation.

Miami’s Art Deco Hotels: Past and Present
Visitors can also enjoy Miami’s Art Deco architecture by checking in to a number of hotels like The Gabriel Miami South Beach. Located right on Ocean Drive, the hotel is spread across four buildings, one of which is the former Park Central Hotel, built in 1937. Designed by famed Art Deco architect Henry Hohauser, the Park Central Hotel used to be a hangout spot for Hollywood stars like Clark Gable. The contemporary property has been completely updated, but the hotel’s restaurant, Meet Dalia, still includes Art Deco details like rounded windows, sculpted gold light fixtures, and opulent velvet couches in rose and navy hues.

Another great option is the Shelborne South Beach hotel. Originally built in the 1940s, the beachfront hotel was designed by famous Art Deco architects Igor Polevitsky and Thomas Triplett Russel. The property has a signature neon ‘Shelborne ‘ sign above a circular overhang, and the lobby features hanging starburst lights, cranberry-toned mid-century furniture, and an oversized marble check-in desk.

A newer addition to Miami Beach, The Goodtime Hotel opened in 2021 and features whimsical Art Deco details like pink rotary phones, a coral-colored library, and cheeky leopard print benches. The hotel’s main attraction is the Strawberry Moon restaurant and pool club. Pinstriped awnings, teal scalloped cabanas, and striped pastel pool tiles welcome travelers to the hip pool deck. The hotel is a throwback to Miami’s Art Deco heyday and also represents Miami’s current reputation as a haven for relaxation and entertainment.