Description

Miami at mid-century was simultaneously an escape from post-World War II Middle America and one of its most characteristic places. It was a rapidly growing metropolis in its own right, one whose story parallels many others. But unlike others, it was crucially shaped by the desires—real, imagined or artificially induced—of people from out of town. Miami was one of the few places where the nation’s fantasies were played out on a grand scale. Miami modernism was characterized by spare international-style structure appliquéd with thematic decorative elements often inventive and frequently flamboyant. Morris Lapidus is reputed to have said of his famous outrageous hotels, “no place like home.”

Covering a range of architectural topics including hotels, retail, aerospace and residential, Miami Modern Metropolis is at once thoroughly researched and entertaining. It is a long-overdue look at one of the country’s most distinctive urban confections.