The Architecture of Whimsy

This fascinating lexicon examines the quixotic architectural expressions found on select mid-20th-century modern commercial buildings in South Florida. Showcasing the work of 13 noted architects from Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale, it highlights the playful decorative details and gestures--swooping overhangs, brise-soleil, cheese holes and arches, and screening--that expressed the era's shiny optimism and the region's carefree resort culture. With brief bios of the architects and street maps pinpointing the location of each building, this book offers tourists, architects, history buffs, and preservationists a new context and appreciation for these works of art, many of which are endangered.