Most people don't realize it but a simple look at the map will confirm, the Florida keys start in Miami Beach. This island, approximately six miles long and about one mile wide is separated from the mainland by about three miles of Biscayne Bay. Over the years the span has been breached by a series of islands, so that in the case of the Venetian Causeway, the gap can be traversed on bicycle over a series of small easily travelled bridges.
This place is for me, one of the most magical places on earth. It occurred to me today that the incredible architecture of this Miami Beach is a reflection of the inspiration it has provided countless architects and designers to do their best work. The city has been a magnet to dreamers and visionaries from the days that Carl Fisher saw it as the glorious terminus of his Dixie Highway. Today, Miami Beach is the world's foremost repository of art deco and mid century modern architecture.
A particular favorite of mine is Morris Lapidus. As I was coming of age, our family made frequent trips to Miami Beach. In the sixties, the city was at its height of glamour. Jackie Gleason was making his popular tv show here, Goldfinger had used the Fountainebleu Hotel as a backdrop. Fashionable shops abounded on Lincoln Road, And the houseboat on Indian Creek would be the setting for "Surfside Six."
Morris was the force behind much of this glamour. His brilliant work on the Fountainebleu, Eden Roc and Americana Hotels set the standard and style by which all others would be gauged. And for me personally, without the Lincoln Road that he redesigned, the city would be impossible to imagine. As I have sat countless times in cafes along this car-free stretch of six blocks, I constantly marvel that pedestrians, bikers and skateboarders manage to throng the place and yet I've never seen a collision. I've always attributed it to some magical spell that Lapidus cast over this place. Throughout its existence, Miami Beach has seemed animated by each successive participant in its evolution and it so often seems as fantastic as someones dream coming true.
This place is for me, one of the most magical places on earth. It occurred to me today that the incredible architecture of this Miami Beach is a reflection of the inspiration it has provided countless architects and designers to do their best work. The city has been a magnet to dreamers and visionaries from the days that Carl Fisher saw it as the glorious terminus of his Dixie Highway. Today, Miami Beach is the world's foremost repository of art deco and mid century modern architecture.
A particular favorite of mine is Morris Lapidus. As I was coming of age, our family made frequent trips to Miami Beach. In the sixties, the city was at its height of glamour. Jackie Gleason was making his popular tv show here, Goldfinger had used the Fountainebleu Hotel as a backdrop. Fashionable shops abounded on Lincoln Road, And the houseboat on Indian Creek would be the setting for "Surfside Six."
Morris was the force behind much of this glamour. His brilliant work on the Fountainebleu, Eden Roc and Americana Hotels set the standard and style by which all others would be gauged. And for me personally, without the Lincoln Road that he redesigned, the city would be impossible to imagine. As I have sat countless times in cafes along this car-free stretch of six blocks, I constantly marvel that pedestrians, bikers and skateboarders manage to throng the place and yet I've never seen a collision. I've always attributed it to some magical spell that Lapidus cast over this place. Throughout its existence, Miami Beach has seemed animated by each successive participant in its evolution and it so often seems as fantastic as someones dream coming true.
No comments:
Post a Comment