Saving Art Deco

Jonathan Vigliotti

Miami Beach has the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the country. A popular design movement in the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco is highly stylized, geometric and often very symmetric. This week, ON Assignment tours Miami Beach's Art Deco district and meets the people behind the movement to preserve these buildings. Here are a few facts to whet your palette:

• The term “Art Deco” was first coined in 1966. It came from a 1925 Paris exhibit called L'Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. The style was previously called “Art Moderne.”
• Only four Art Deco houses are left in Miami Beach, though there are many hotels and other buildings.
• Barbara Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976, specifically to save original Art Deco buildings.
• The Miami Beach Art Deco District was declared a National Historic Place in 1979.

Hit up mdpl.org for more info on helping to preserve the Art Deco District or the walking tours.

Video

Saving Art Deco

This week, ON Assignment takes us into the heart of Miami Beach's historic Art Deco District. Learn about the architectural design and the people behind the movement to preserve the buildings.

Jonathan Vigliotti