The United States of America is divided into 50 states and Florida is one of them. Florida is the 27th state and was admitted to the United States as a state on March 3, 1845. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee while the largest metropolitan area is Miami. The city of Miami possesses a wealth of historic fabric including simple homes exhibiting vernacular architectural styles and elaborates high style buildings full of detail and flourish (Architectural Designs, 2010). One of the architectural styles that are evident in the building structures in Miami is the Stream line and depression moderne (1930 1942). Stream line Moderne which was developed during the early days of the depression, was a contrast to the Art Deco style. The style was inspired by technology and the emerging love affair America had with machines. The style is simple and functional. It is also most famous for its commercial buildings while some of the houses were also designed in this style (Historic Preservation, 2002). The streamline moderne depicted the laws of aerodynamics in architecture, reflected the growth of speed and travel in the 1930s. Building forms resemble automobiles, trains, ocean liners and airplanes. Massing reflects abstract, simplified forms with rounded corners devoid of much applied decoration. Horizontal compositions, bands of windows, racing stripes, and flat roofs are featured, as well as new materials such as vitrolite, glass block, chrome, stainless steel, terrazzo and neon (Architectural Designs, 2010). The features of the buildings which are commonly seen in Miami are eyebrow ledges over the windows, front porches, nautical motifs like porthole windows and bas-relief panels depicting tropical scenes. Examples of the buildings that depict the streamline modern architectural design are Walgreen Drug store, X-ray clinic, Alfred I. duPont Building and the Miami Shipbuilding Corporation.
The following are the detailed description of the application of Streamline modern architectural design in the buildings found in Miami, Florida
Walgreen Drug Store
Location 200 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33132
Year Built 1936
Architects Zimmerman, Saxe and MacBridge E.A. Ehmann, Associate Architect
Date Designated 1988
The Walgreen Drug Store is architecturally significant because it represents one of the earliest and most visible Streamline Modern structures in Miami. The building also possesses historical associations with the commercial development of downtown Miami during the period between the World Wars. (Historic Preservation, 2002)
The Walgreen Drug Store is architecturally noteworthy because its visual composition makes it one of the most unique commercial buildings in downtown Miami. The use of the ribbon windows and curved corner entrance represents an attempt to adapt an emerging architectural style to the peculiarities of the areas climate and the buildings sitting. The buildings scale, massing and repetitive fenestration pattern make it one of the finest examples of the Streamline Moderne style in South Florida (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The construction of the Walgreen Drug Store also represents the efforts undertaken by the Chicago-based Walgreen Company to establish a major commercial presence in downtown Miami. The construction of such a large store and the use of such an innovative architectural style served to emphasize that the Walgreen Company had acknowledged a vote of confidence in the city (Historic Preservation, 2002). Upon its completion, the construction of the building represented a 1.5 million investment for the Walgreen Company. After its opening, the Walgreen Drug Store was hailed as the largest in the chain and one of the largest and most complete in the country. Among the features noted at the time of its opening were an old-fashioned candy kitchen, restaurant space for several hundred people at the mezzanine and balcony levels, and an all-electric, 88-foot soda fountain with glass-enclosed fruit displays and separate ice cream plant (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The Walgreen Drug Store building is a five-storey masonry structure executed in the Streamline Moderne style of architecture. The building is a rectangular plan structure commissioned by the Walgreen Company in 1936 and designed by Zimmerman, Saxe and Macbride, Architects, with E. A. Ehmann as Associate Architect (Historic Preservation, 2002). Situated at the intersection of East Flagler Street and S. E. 2nd Avenue, the buildings mass features a curved corner facing the intersection. The structure of the Walgreen Drug Store is a fireproof masonry frame sitting atop a concrete foundation. The principal elevations of the building feature horizontal bands of metal awning type windows separated by stone spandrels. The main entrance to the building is situated at the first floor level of the curved corner and is recessed into the wall. Three pairs of glass and metal frame doors provided access to the interior (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The fenestration pattern of the buildings elevation features a combination of glass sizes to allow maximum light to the interior and also provide for maximum natural ventilation when desired. The fenestration found within the curved corner of the building features metal casement windows set within multi-pane fixed glass.
The bands of horizontal windows are the same for the upper stories, and large fixed panes of glass originally comprised the storefront windows at the sidewalk level. Over the years, some of these windows have been boarded up (Historic Preservation, 2002). The buildings roofline is characterized by a tall parapet wall featuring scored masonry bands, which serves to conceal a flat roof behind. A tall elevator enclosure, clad in masonry, is situated on the northeast corner of the building (Historic Preservation, 2002).
X-ray Clinic
Location 171 N.W. 11th Street Miami, Florida
Year Built 1939
Architects Godfrey C. Scovello and H. S. Braggs
Date Designated 1984
The X-ray Clinic is significant for its associations with a prominent physician in Miamis early black community and as a reflection of life in over town during the first half of the twentieth century. The building is also a typical example of Streamline Moderne style of architecture during the 1930s. The construction of the X-ray Clinic in 1939 reflects the reality of segregated life in Miami during the early decades of the twentieth century. Because Overtown, then known as Colored Town, was forced to be virtually a self-sufficient community, black-owned businesses and professional services thrived (Historic Preservation, 2002). The X-ray Clinic is one example of the types of services which were provided to meet the needs of this once-vibrant community. This clinic is a good example of the application of Streamline Modern style architecture to a modest commercial building. The elements of the style are particularly evident in the buildings rounded corners, horizontal band of windows, use of glass block and central relief details (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The X-ray Clinic is a one-storey rectangular structure with three bays across south (front) facade. This concrete-block building is covered with smooth stucco and is topped with a flat roof with parapet. The building is symmetrical in composition and features a central entrance. The main doorway is surrounded by tinted pink keystone blocks, placed to resemble quoins and by glass block sidelights. A semi-circular canopy, topped with the words X-ray Clinic, originally covered the entrance. Above the entrance is a central low relief panel which features a rounded stepped motif with a strong vertical emphasis. On either side of this panel is a round, ornamental concrete vent. The streamlined look of the building is heightened by its rounded corners and horizontal band of windows. The original windows were metal casements, but these have been replaced with multi-light aluminum windows (Historic Preservation, 2002).
Alfred I. duPont Building
Location 169 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33131
Years Built 1937 - 1939
Architects Marsh and Saxelbye
Date Designated 1993
The Alfred I. duPont Building is architecturally significant because it is one of the most representative Moderne structures in Miami. Designed by the architectural firm of Marsh and Saxelbye, the building reflects an excellent local adaptation of a prevailing national style as evidenced in the decoration throughout the major interior spaces. The duPont building also possesses important historical associations with the development of downtown Miami during the period of time between the World Wars (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The presence of the local flora and fauna, as well as the painted Seminole Indian motifs, throughout the interior surfaces of the building are indicative of the prevailing 1930s movement that emphasized regionalism in commercial architecture. The visual composition of the duPont Building makes it one of the most outstanding examples of the Moderne style of architecture in Miami, Florida. The Moderne style was popularized by way of the projects undertaken by the Works Progress Administration, but its presence is a rarity within Miamis built environment. The duPont Building is architecturally noteworthy for the excellence of its design, materials and detailing (Historic Preservation, 2002). Begun in 1937, the duPont Building was the first skyscraper to be built in Miami since the completion of the Dade County Courthouse in 1928. The building constituted the first major construction project privately undertaken in Miami after the Bust in 1926.
As such, it signaled Miamis recovery from the depression. The Alfred I. duPont Building has important historical associations with the military activity present in South Florida during the Second World War. During the war, the duPont Building was commissioned by the United States Navy and served as the fleet headquarters for the 7th Naval District until June 30, 1946. The Navy command took over two entire floors of the building and installed a huge map of the Gulf Sea Frontier territory. During its occupation by the United States Navy, the building was dubbed the U.S.S. Neversink (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The Alfred I. duPont Building is a rectangular 17-storey structure executed in the Moderne style of architecture and embellished with features derived from the Art Deco influences of the late 1920s. The construction of the building was carried out according to plans provided by the architectural firm of Marsh and Saxelbye from Jacksonville, Florida. The buildings structure is comprised of a steel frame skeleton and the exterior walls are clad with stone. The building is situated at the northwest corner of East Flagler Street and N.E. 2nd Avenue (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The fenestration of the duPont Building contains the original windows which are comprised of two-over-two, double-hung sash set within metal frames. The paired windows are separated horizontally by spandrels flanked by stylized pilaster motifs. All the spandrels as well as the window mullions are tinted green. The interiors of the duPont Building are some of the most ornate spaces in downtown Miami. The elevator doors are fashioned in brass and embellished with palm trees, flamingos and other tropical motifs as bas-relief decoration. The walls of the first floor are clad in marble and continue the marble colorations to a portion of the second floor lobby. The ceiling of the entire second floor is comprised of primary and secondary wooden beams dividing the ceiling plane into numerous coffers. The primary and secondary beams are embellished with painted motifs derived from the ornaments used by the local Seminole Indians.
The teller cages on the second floor bank lobby retain the majority of their original grille work forged out of wrought iron. The cages are delineated by alternating panels containing stylized floral motifs and lanterns above. Except for minor alterations to some of the storefronts, the duPont Building remains virtually unaltered from the day it was completed. The Alfred I. duPont Building is a contributing structure and there are no contributing landscape features on the site (Historical Preservation, 2002).
Miami Shipbuilding Corporation
Location 615 S.W. 2nd Avenue Miami, Florida
Years Built 1940 - 1942
Architects Unknown
Date Designated Demolished
In 1939, the Miami Shipbuilding Corporation won the contract to build the first PT boats, which were used to rescue downed pilots during World War II. The complex includes metal structures, built during the shipyards expansion in 1940 1941, which are attached to a two-storey Art Moderne style office building. The large bas relief panel above the office buildings entrance depicts a man holding a ship loft while kneeling in water and surrounded by a ships helm, propeller and gear (Architectural Designs, 2010).
Miami Shipbuilding Corporation was selected as the designer and producer of the craft and foil system. The outboard marine industry undertook the task to develop a suitable, reliable and propulsion unit of 20 to 25 horsepower. Their major task was to produce an outboard capable of lengthy submergence which would then be floated and restarted to transport the swimmers back to the submarine (The Cigar Hydrofoil).
The following are the detailed description of the application of Streamline modern architectural design in the buildings found in Miami, Florida
Walgreen Drug Store
Location 200 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33132
Year Built 1936
Architects Zimmerman, Saxe and MacBridge E.A. Ehmann, Associate Architect
Date Designated 1988
The Walgreen Drug Store is architecturally significant because it represents one of the earliest and most visible Streamline Modern structures in Miami. The building also possesses historical associations with the commercial development of downtown Miami during the period between the World Wars. (Historic Preservation, 2002)
The Walgreen Drug Store is architecturally noteworthy because its visual composition makes it one of the most unique commercial buildings in downtown Miami. The use of the ribbon windows and curved corner entrance represents an attempt to adapt an emerging architectural style to the peculiarities of the areas climate and the buildings sitting. The buildings scale, massing and repetitive fenestration pattern make it one of the finest examples of the Streamline Moderne style in South Florida (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The construction of the Walgreen Drug Store also represents the efforts undertaken by the Chicago-based Walgreen Company to establish a major commercial presence in downtown Miami. The construction of such a large store and the use of such an innovative architectural style served to emphasize that the Walgreen Company had acknowledged a vote of confidence in the city (Historic Preservation, 2002). Upon its completion, the construction of the building represented a 1.5 million investment for the Walgreen Company. After its opening, the Walgreen Drug Store was hailed as the largest in the chain and one of the largest and most complete in the country. Among the features noted at the time of its opening were an old-fashioned candy kitchen, restaurant space for several hundred people at the mezzanine and balcony levels, and an all-electric, 88-foot soda fountain with glass-enclosed fruit displays and separate ice cream plant (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The Walgreen Drug Store building is a five-storey masonry structure executed in the Streamline Moderne style of architecture. The building is a rectangular plan structure commissioned by the Walgreen Company in 1936 and designed by Zimmerman, Saxe and Macbride, Architects, with E. A. Ehmann as Associate Architect (Historic Preservation, 2002). Situated at the intersection of East Flagler Street and S. E. 2nd Avenue, the buildings mass features a curved corner facing the intersection. The structure of the Walgreen Drug Store is a fireproof masonry frame sitting atop a concrete foundation. The principal elevations of the building feature horizontal bands of metal awning type windows separated by stone spandrels. The main entrance to the building is situated at the first floor level of the curved corner and is recessed into the wall. Three pairs of glass and metal frame doors provided access to the interior (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The fenestration pattern of the buildings elevation features a combination of glass sizes to allow maximum light to the interior and also provide for maximum natural ventilation when desired. The fenestration found within the curved corner of the building features metal casement windows set within multi-pane fixed glass.
The bands of horizontal windows are the same for the upper stories, and large fixed panes of glass originally comprised the storefront windows at the sidewalk level. Over the years, some of these windows have been boarded up (Historic Preservation, 2002). The buildings roofline is characterized by a tall parapet wall featuring scored masonry bands, which serves to conceal a flat roof behind. A tall elevator enclosure, clad in masonry, is situated on the northeast corner of the building (Historic Preservation, 2002).
X-ray Clinic
Location 171 N.W. 11th Street Miami, Florida
Year Built 1939
Architects Godfrey C. Scovello and H. S. Braggs
Date Designated 1984
The X-ray Clinic is significant for its associations with a prominent physician in Miamis early black community and as a reflection of life in over town during the first half of the twentieth century. The building is also a typical example of Streamline Moderne style of architecture during the 1930s. The construction of the X-ray Clinic in 1939 reflects the reality of segregated life in Miami during the early decades of the twentieth century. Because Overtown, then known as Colored Town, was forced to be virtually a self-sufficient community, black-owned businesses and professional services thrived (Historic Preservation, 2002). The X-ray Clinic is one example of the types of services which were provided to meet the needs of this once-vibrant community. This clinic is a good example of the application of Streamline Modern style architecture to a modest commercial building. The elements of the style are particularly evident in the buildings rounded corners, horizontal band of windows, use of glass block and central relief details (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The X-ray Clinic is a one-storey rectangular structure with three bays across south (front) facade. This concrete-block building is covered with smooth stucco and is topped with a flat roof with parapet. The building is symmetrical in composition and features a central entrance. The main doorway is surrounded by tinted pink keystone blocks, placed to resemble quoins and by glass block sidelights. A semi-circular canopy, topped with the words X-ray Clinic, originally covered the entrance. Above the entrance is a central low relief panel which features a rounded stepped motif with a strong vertical emphasis. On either side of this panel is a round, ornamental concrete vent. The streamlined look of the building is heightened by its rounded corners and horizontal band of windows. The original windows were metal casements, but these have been replaced with multi-light aluminum windows (Historic Preservation, 2002).
Alfred I. duPont Building
Location 169 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33131
Years Built 1937 - 1939
Architects Marsh and Saxelbye
Date Designated 1993
The Alfred I. duPont Building is architecturally significant because it is one of the most representative Moderne structures in Miami. Designed by the architectural firm of Marsh and Saxelbye, the building reflects an excellent local adaptation of a prevailing national style as evidenced in the decoration throughout the major interior spaces. The duPont building also possesses important historical associations with the development of downtown Miami during the period of time between the World Wars (Architectural Designs, 2010).
The presence of the local flora and fauna, as well as the painted Seminole Indian motifs, throughout the interior surfaces of the building are indicative of the prevailing 1930s movement that emphasized regionalism in commercial architecture. The visual composition of the duPont Building makes it one of the most outstanding examples of the Moderne style of architecture in Miami, Florida. The Moderne style was popularized by way of the projects undertaken by the Works Progress Administration, but its presence is a rarity within Miamis built environment. The duPont Building is architecturally noteworthy for the excellence of its design, materials and detailing (Historic Preservation, 2002). Begun in 1937, the duPont Building was the first skyscraper to be built in Miami since the completion of the Dade County Courthouse in 1928. The building constituted the first major construction project privately undertaken in Miami after the Bust in 1926.
As such, it signaled Miamis recovery from the depression. The Alfred I. duPont Building has important historical associations with the military activity present in South Florida during the Second World War. During the war, the duPont Building was commissioned by the United States Navy and served as the fleet headquarters for the 7th Naval District until June 30, 1946. The Navy command took over two entire floors of the building and installed a huge map of the Gulf Sea Frontier territory. During its occupation by the United States Navy, the building was dubbed the U.S.S. Neversink (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The Alfred I. duPont Building is a rectangular 17-storey structure executed in the Moderne style of architecture and embellished with features derived from the Art Deco influences of the late 1920s. The construction of the building was carried out according to plans provided by the architectural firm of Marsh and Saxelbye from Jacksonville, Florida. The buildings structure is comprised of a steel frame skeleton and the exterior walls are clad with stone. The building is situated at the northwest corner of East Flagler Street and N.E. 2nd Avenue (Historic Preservation, 2002).
The fenestration of the duPont Building contains the original windows which are comprised of two-over-two, double-hung sash set within metal frames. The paired windows are separated horizontally by spandrels flanked by stylized pilaster motifs. All the spandrels as well as the window mullions are tinted green. The interiors of the duPont Building are some of the most ornate spaces in downtown Miami. The elevator doors are fashioned in brass and embellished with palm trees, flamingos and other tropical motifs as bas-relief decoration. The walls of the first floor are clad in marble and continue the marble colorations to a portion of the second floor lobby. The ceiling of the entire second floor is comprised of primary and secondary wooden beams dividing the ceiling plane into numerous coffers. The primary and secondary beams are embellished with painted motifs derived from the ornaments used by the local Seminole Indians.
The teller cages on the second floor bank lobby retain the majority of their original grille work forged out of wrought iron. The cages are delineated by alternating panels containing stylized floral motifs and lanterns above. Except for minor alterations to some of the storefronts, the duPont Building remains virtually unaltered from the day it was completed. The Alfred I. duPont Building is a contributing structure and there are no contributing landscape features on the site (Historical Preservation, 2002).
Miami Shipbuilding Corporation
Location 615 S.W. 2nd Avenue Miami, Florida
Years Built 1940 - 1942
Architects Unknown
Date Designated Demolished
In 1939, the Miami Shipbuilding Corporation won the contract to build the first PT boats, which were used to rescue downed pilots during World War II. The complex includes metal structures, built during the shipyards expansion in 1940 1941, which are attached to a two-storey Art Moderne style office building. The large bas relief panel above the office buildings entrance depicts a man holding a ship loft while kneeling in water and surrounded by a ships helm, propeller and gear (Architectural Designs, 2010).
Miami Shipbuilding Corporation was selected as the designer and producer of the craft and foil system. The outboard marine industry undertook the task to develop a suitable, reliable and propulsion unit of 20 to 25 horsepower. Their major task was to produce an outboard capable of lengthy submergence which would then be floated and restarted to transport the swimmers back to the submarine (The Cigar Hydrofoil).
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