Art Deco, Development and Preservation...
Historic designation and preservation is an important part of Miami Beach’s recognition as an international tourist and cultural center. Its Art Deco district is one of the largest heritage sites in the world with 800 buildings constructed between the Great Hurricane of 1926 and the beginning of the Second World War. But preservation and development are a continuing balancing act…
New Yorker Hotel
The tearing down of Henry Hohauser’s 1939 Art Deco gem New Yorker Hotel in 1981 was a catalyst that helped created the preservation movement on Miami Beach. Owner Abe Resnick later apologized for the demolition saying it was a mistake.
Senator Hotel
Designed by architect L. Murray Dixon, the Senator opened in 1939. It became a focus for preservationists in 1988 as they tried in vain to prevent its demolition. Its destruction spurred many of the ordinances that now protect Art Deco structures.
Barbara’s Crusade
Barbara Baer Capitman’s vision and persistence helped to turn a rundown area of Miami Beach into the vibrant Art Deco historic district. Arriving on Miami Beach in 1973, Barbara was struck by the neglect of what she recognized as an artistic treasure — the hundreds of buildings constructed in the Moderne style following the disastrous 1926 hurricane that pushed a wall of water across the barrier island that is Miami Beach. This film uses interviews with people who worked with Barbara and video from a German Television documentary filmed the year before her death in 1990 to tell the story of how Barbara Capitman was able to save large portions of Miami Beach’s unique Art Deco district.
“Missionary Zeal” Saved Art Deco
Micky Wolfson, in an excerpt from an extended interview, talks about his participation in the Art Deco preservation movement on Miami Beach and his thoughts about Barbara Baer Capitman and her “missionary zeal” for preservation that helped create the Art Deco District.
Kobi Karp, Architect and Interior Designer on Miami Beach’s iconic buildings.
“I Have Seen the American Riviera”
These are Tony Goldman’s words on seeing Miami Beach. Goldman was instrumental in the preservation and development of the architecturally significant Art Deco district on Miami Beach. This video is a segment of a German Television documentary about Art Deco on the Beach produced in 1989. It includes this segment with Goldman in his signature Park Central Hotel discussing how he combined preservation and renovation as part of his concept for developing the property.
Saving Browns Hotel
Architect Allan Shulman specializes in delicate restoration work on Miami Beach, including the Historic Browns Hotel — the first hotel built on the Beach, in 1915. Shulman has a deep appreciation for Art Deco and Miami Modern architectural styles and talks about having to adhere to historic preservation within contemporary zoning requirements. The interview gives insight into the work, the research and the ingenuity involved in restoring an old building and bringing it up to current building standards without compromising historic integrity.
The Creation of Lincoln Mall
Stephen Hertz’s father Hal was a prominent business leader on the Beach with a successful shoe business on Lincoln Road. His father believed that Lincoln Road could boost its business by closing off the street and creating an outdoor mall. Sketching a design, he hired architect Morris Lapidus to turn the idea into the Miami Beach landmark it is today.
