Art Deco Turns 100: Miami’s Enduring Love Affair With Design

The recent reopening of the Waldorf Astoria after its stunning renovation has captured the world’s attention — and for good reason. Its Art Deco grandeur, revived with modern sophistication, feels like a love letter to that vibrant age of design. But here in Miami, we don’t just admire Art Deco from afar — we live inside it. 

Miami Beach has the world’s largest collection of Art Deco structures, with over 800 preserved buildings built between the 1920’s and 1940’s.  This includes the Miami Beach Architectural District, spanning from 6^th Street to 23^rd Street, a designated landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. 

2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement, effectively launched by the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.  Therefore, now is the perfect time to celebrate the buildings that define our cityscape, our culture, and our unmistakable sense of glamour. Here are some of the most notable:

Source: travelweekly.com

1. Colony Hotel (1935)

📍 736 Ocean DriveDesigned by Henry Hohauser, this is Miami Beach’s most photographed Art Deco icon — all symmetry, neon, and confidence. Its cool blues and crisp white trim stand out at sunset, when the building practically hums with nostalgia. The Colony embodies everything we love about Deco: geometry, optimism, and timeless flair. Today, the Colony continues to operate as a boutique hotel.

Source: miamibeachfl-hotel.com

2. The Tides Hotel (1936)

📍 1225 Ocean DriveOnce the tallest structure on Ocean Drive, The Tides brought vertical drama to a beachfront lined with horizontality. Its subtle nautical touches and round porthole windows bridge the space between sea and city. Its elegant façade remains one of the most recognizable along the strip.

The Tides has been closed since 2017, after it suffered damages from Hurricane Irma.  It was foreclosed on in 2022, and its exact future use or operator has not been publicly confirmed in detail. The building still appears listed as a hotel property.

Source: booking.com

3. The Carlyle (1941)

📍 1250 Ocean DriveIf you’ve seen The Birdcage, you’ve seen The Carlyle. Its curved corners and streamlined façade are quintessential “Streamline Moderne,” the softer, more fluid cousin of Deco. It captures the moment when Deco became more aerodynamic — ready for the modern world. The Carlyle is currently operating as a condo-hotel. 

Source: beaconsouthbeach.com

4. Beacon South Beach Hotel (1936)

📍 720 Ocean DriveA beacon in every sense — its glowing signage and sculptural details made it one of the most glamorous hotels in the district. Its restoration work has kept the integrity of its 1930s design, reminding us how beauty and preservation can coexist on the same façade.  It still operates as a hotel today.

Source: miamiandbeaches.com

5. The Shepley Hotel (1937)

📍 1340 Collins AvenueAnother Henry Hohauser gem, The Shepley is all subtle sophistication — fluted pilasters, elegant curves, and pastel tones that glow under the Miami sun. Restored with care, it remains one of the best-preserved boutique examples of the era.  It continues to operate as a hotel

Source: shulman-design.com

6. Lincoln Theatre (1936)

📍 541 Lincoln RoadThe theatre’s façade feels cinematic even before you step inside. Built by Thomas W. Lamb, this Deco masterpiece once premiered the grand films of Hollywood’s golden age. Its adaptive reuse as retail preserves the bones and brilliance of its design.

This theater was gutted to make way for a flagship H&M store, which occupies about 84 % of the building. The streamlined corner, sculpted bas-relief panels, and the projecting marquee on Lincoln Road were restored, keeping the building’s historic street presence. 

Source: tagvenue.com

7. The National Hotel (1939)

📍 1677 Collins Avenue Roy France’s vision for this oceanfront hotel combined vertical tower lines with sleek geometric motifs, marking a mature, confident stage in Miami’s Deco evolution. Its long infinity pool mirrors the horizon, connecting architecture to ocean.

The hotel re-opened after a major renovation earlier this year.

Source: bassmuseum.com

8. The Bass Museum of Art (1930s)

📍 2100 Collins AvenueOriginally the Miami Beach Public Library, the Bass Museum’s limestone façade and restrained Deco details make it a civic jewel. Inside, its art collection continues the conversation between classic design and contemporary culture.

Source: richedwardsimagery

9. Essex House (1938)

📍 1001 Collins AvenueOne of Hohauser’s most elegant creations, the Essex House balances playful geometry with refined restraint. The corner turret, a nod to ocean liners, makes it one of the most beloved structures in the district. It currently operates as a hotel but is rumored to be considered for re-development.

Source: buildingsdb.com

10. Alfred I. DuPont Building (1939)

📍 169 E Flagler Street, Downtown MiamiThis downtown landmark is proof that Art Deco didn’t stop at the beach. Completed in 1939, it was Miami’s first skyscraper built with air conditioning — the height of modernity. Inside, its marble and metal detailing rival anything in Manhattan. The building currently serves as an events venue, with offices on the upper floors.

A City Built on Style and Preservation

While the Waldorf Astoria’s revival reminds the world of Deco’s enduring glamour, Miami Beach never lost it. The cityscape is still anchored by those curvaceous façades, sunburst motifs, and terrazzo floors that defined the 1930s — not as nostalgia, but as a living language of design.

Thanks to decades of preservation work by the Miami Design Preservation League, these buildings continue to embody Miami’s creative spirit. The result is a city where architecture, culture, and sunlight blend seamlessly — an Art Deco dreamscape that still feels thrillingly modern.