#Morris Lapidus

[guy60660]

Morris Lapidus | Chrysler Building | Gottscho-Schleisner

[histonics]

[mistons]

Miami Beach

Snowden Estate, 1923, looking north from 44th St & Collins Ave. Harvey S. Firestone's Harbel Villa Estate, 1930s. Fontainebleau Hotel construction, 1954. Firestone estate was used as a construction office.  

Miami History / SMU Libraries / Miami Archives / Gottscho-Schleisner collection, LOC

Fontainebleau architect Morris Lapidus: In his day, critics reviled the excesses of Lapidus’ designs, calling his architecture “the nation’s grossest national product,” “pornography of architecture,” and “boarding house baroque” ... There was a “Staircase to Nowhere” so women dressed in couture and jewels could take an elevator to the top to deposit their coats and glamorously descend the stairs to the lobby. - Fontainebleau Hotel, A Colorful History

Steve Wynn:

In 1954 a guy named Ben Novack and his brother Joe Novack, who had  experience in the Catskills at a hotel called Laurel, and in Miami Beach at the Sans Souci Hotel - sort of like Las Vegas with bunch of hotels lined up one next to the other on Collins Avenue - got an option on the Firestone estate at 41st St. on Collins Ave., a big 15-acre oceanfront piece that was owned by the famous family that made tires.

Ben Novack and Joe Novack conceived with an architect named Morris Lapidus of a hotel called Fontainebleau. This place was going to be a new idea. The hotel itself was going to be a series of experiential moments that included formal French gardens, sort of a Jewish version of Versailles; a gorgeous, soaring, high ceiling lobby; a lot of curvilinear spaces and curved stairways; murals on the wall of 18th century France; a fabulous showroom; a shopping arcade below; beyond the garden an expansive Cabana and pool club; a beautiful spa; and a curved building with blue glass. The Fontainebleau was going to set a new standard of destination resorts on planet Earth. It was so breakaway, so profoundly new it didn't even add a name on it. No sign, just the building.

It opened in 1954 and it changed everything people came from France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil. Between Christmas and Easter you had to know somebody to get a room. Everybody from Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis worked there. It was the coolest place to be in America during high season. The Fontainebleau dwarfed in scale and imagination anything that had ever been done anywhere in Europe or America, and it was received that way.  

Jay Sarno was a character from Atlanta. He saw the Fontainebleau. He saw that this place was in the literary sense romantic, better than the outside world. It was a universe utopia within itself. Sarno never got over it

I was going to school at the University of Pennsylvania. My folks had Cabana 364 on an annual basis. I’d come there at Christmastime, and I never got over it. To me it seemed like the greatest thing in the world is to create a place that would transport people that way.

[vintage-every-day]

March 24, 1948. L Motors, business at 175th Street and Broadway, New York City. General view. Morris Lapidus, client. Need a new car Go straight to L. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner.

[ohc-and-the-music-tapes-archive]

Kazoo from the gift Julian gave at the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise show at the Knitting Factory, New York, 11 October 2008

photos by john kendelhardt

Writing on the kazoo:

Morris Lapidus (left) is 9 months old. It is 1903, and his family has just arrived from Russia, and settled in Brooklyn.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

A Dodge dealership at 175th St and Broadway, 1948. The building was designed by Morris Lapidus, an architect known for his flamboyance.

For information on how the artist colorized the original photo, see here.

Photo: Gottscho-Schleisner, colorized by Mike Savad, via Fine Art America

[miamiarchitect]

Kobi Karp and the 8701 Collins Avenue Transformation: A New Era for Miami Beach

The 8701 Collins Avenue project represents a substantial change in Miami Beach's skyline, with a new 20-story, 64-unit condominium planned to replace the iconic Howard Johnson Dezerland Hotel. This ambitious project, spearheaded by developer Pedro Martin and designed in collaboration with renowned architects such as Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, and WEST 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture, promises to bring a new wave of luxury and innovation to North Beach.

From Historic Biltmore to Modern Luxury

Originally known as the Biltmore Terrace, the Howard Johnson Dezerland Hotel was designed by famed architect Morris Lapidus in 1951. Its demolition, which began in January, marks the end of an era for this iconic structure. While some, like Daniel Ciraldo of the Miami Design Preservation League, expressed concern over the loss of this historic building, the city of Miami Beach has nonetheless approved the construction of a new high-rise that will redefine the area with its modern design and luxury offerings.

Green Spaces and Innovative Design

One of the most notable aspects of the new 8701 Collins Avenue project is its commitment to integrating green spaces into its design. The development will feature a forest of 200 trees surrounding the building, which will also infiltrate the ground floor lobby, creating a seamless blend of nature and architecture. This innovative approach, championed by Kobi Karp and the design team, reflects a growing trend in urban design where the natural environment plays a crucial role in enhancing the living experience.

Enhancing North Beach's Appeal

The area surrounding the old Howard Johnson hotel has long been considered an underdeveloped part of North Beach. With the introduction of this new luxury condo, many, including residents like Mickey Miñagorri of the Artco Group, are hopeful that the development will bring much-needed revitalization to the neighborhood. The project's commitment to enhancing public spaces, such as the $10 million contribution to improve North Shore Open Space Park and the construction of 10-foot-wide beach access paths, further demonstrates its potential to uplift the community.

The Contribution of Kobi Karp to Miami's Architectural Evolution

Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design has played an important part in establishing Miami's architectural scene, and the 8701 Collins Avenue project is no exception. Karp's team, known for their inventive and sustainable design solutions, contributes a distinct blend of creativity and functionality to this project. Their collaboration on this project with other renowned architects ensures that the new high-rise will be more than just a luxury apartment, but also a landmark that contributes to Miami Beach's continuous evolution as a world-class destination.

A New Chapter for Miami Beach

As the 8701 Collins Avenue project moves forward, it represents a new chapter in Miami Beach's architectural history. The collaboration between top architects and designers promises to deliver a building that honors the past while embracing the future. With its focus on luxury, sustainability, and community enhancement, this development is set to become a shining example of what is possible when visionaries like Kobi Karp take the helm in transforming a city's landscape.

[worldsandemanations]

Architect Morris Lapidus, Chrysler Building. Photo: Gottscho-Schleisner, 1939

[internationalrealestatenews]

[ad_1] Florida legislature permitted a controversial invoice that may make it simpler to demolish some coastal buildings, lots of that are getting older, and redevelop the websites. The proposed laws pitted property house owners and builders in opposition to preservationists who decried the potential demolition of constructions that embody the old-Florida character, together with buildings which have municipal historic designations. The Home on Wednesday permitted the five-page invoice with an 86-29 vote, per week after the Senate permitted it with a 36-2 vote. The laws doesn't turn into remaining till Gov. Ron DeSantis indicators it. Florida legislature had thought-about an analogous invoice final yr, though it did not cross on the time. The invoice permits the demolition of a coastal constructing if it meets one among three standards: It's thought-about “nonconforming,” which means it would not meet the elevation requirement for brand spanking new building within the Nationwide Flood Insurance coverage Program; or a municipal constructing official decided the construction is unsafe; or a municipality has already ordered demolition of the constructing. Property house owners can bypass public hearings and raze buildings solely with administrative approval. Municipal staff should OK a demolition so long as it's in keeping with state laws such because the Florida Constructing Code and Life Security Code. After that, a county or metropolis has to permit for the redevelopment of the positioning with a brand new constructing that's as tall and as huge as allowed on related coastal websites which might be in the identical zoning district. Some historic constructions can be protected against the wrecking ball, though the laws may open the door to demolition of buildings that solely have municipal historic designation. Protected constructions embody these on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations, in addition to these in historic districts listed on the Nationwide Register previous to 2000. Single-family properties and a few buildings in small barrier island municipalities are additionally protected. Throughout a debate on the Home ground this week, Rep. Spencer Roach, the invoice's sponsor, mentioned the carve outs within the laws shield buildings in a number of cities and areas of the state from being razed. This contains Ocean Drive in Miami Seaside, in addition to palm seashore, key WestSt. Augustine, Tampa and Pensacola. But, the invoice leaves a number of historic buildings in Miami Seaside's Mid-Seaside and North Seaside susceptible to the wrecking ball. “Ocean Drive is simply a part of it. We have now the Collins Waterfront Historic District. We have now the Morris Lapidus Historic District. Speak about an iconic architect,” Miami Seaside commissioner Alex Fernandez mentioned, including that the invoice incentivizes property house owners to neglect their buildings to allow them to have them demolished. The laws would enable “the destruction of precious historic belongings alongside the oceanfront of Miami Seaside that can by no means get replaced,” Fernandez mentioned. These properties play an important position within the historical past, tradition and cloth of our group.” Lawyer Keith Poliakoff, who represents builders in land use and zoning issues, mentioned the invoice creates a streamlined course of to resolve “blight” in some coastal areas resulting from getting older constructions that builders cannot reconfigure to satisfy the newest flood and resilience requirements. “This invoice helps as a result of now [property owners] can demolish as a substitute of attempting to determine the way to rehab a constructing that's 50 or 60 years outdated,” mentioned Poliakoff, of Authorities Regulation Group, with workplaces in Fort Lauderdale and Delray Seaside. “It permits a developer to do away with the purple tape and demolish an antiquated constructing.” Thus far, flattening these buildings or redeveloping them to present flood requirements has confirmed tough, he mentioned.

Amid the heightened risk of rising seas and storm surges, federal, state, county and metropolis governments have enacted extra stringent constructing laws, together with that buildings should be elevated by 10 ft. And, the decrease flooring cannot be dwelling house, however are restricted to industrial and parking makes use of. All this implies builders lose a “appreciable quantity of developable space,” Poliakoff mentioned, including that some cities put up “main hurdles” to coastal redevelopment “as a result of they imagine that these properties add character to their communities,” he mentioned. Because of this, some getting older coastal constructions are “left fallow and dormant as a result of builders should not have the funds to redevelop these properties beneath the brand new flood plain standards,” Poliakoff mentioned. The invoice imposes some restrictions on municipalities concerning the event of the websites with new buildings. Counties and cities cannot mandate that the demolished construction be replicated or require the preservation of any of its components, or impose public hearings or building necessities which might be along with what's required for related websites in the identical zoning districts. Rep. Lindsay Cross, of St. Petersburg, opposed the invoice, elevating questions as as to if it may enable for extra density in coastal areas or hinder hurricane evacuations. “For each older two-story motel that does not meet requirements for brand spanking new growth that's located subsequent to a 200-unit resort, that modest-sized constructing might be changed by one other 200-bed resort, growing visitors, making hurricane evacuation harder, probably growing insurance coverage charges and perpetuating a cycle of threat,” Cross mentioned on the Home ground on Wednesday. “Not every thing must be constructed on the most peak and constructing dimension.” Cross additionally raised related issues throughout a debate on the invoice on Tuesday. On the time, Roach, of North Fort Myers, countered that following hurricanes, it is usually newer buildings, constructed as much as the newest codes, which might be nonetheless standing and getting older ones are broken. And, he added, many coastal residents do not evacuate throughout hurricanes. “This occurred in Fort Myers Seaside and in lots of areas of Lee and Collier counties and sadly folks did lose their lives,” Roach mentioned through the debate. “If they're going to keep of their residence, I would like them to remain within the most secure residence they will presumably be in.… This is not going to permit Trump Tower to be in-built St. Augustine Seaside.” Relating to new building allowed to the utmost permissible on related parcels in the identical zoning district, Roach added on Wednesday that this merely signifies that municipalities should “deal with property house owners who dwell in the identical zoning space equally.” [ad_2] Supply hyperlink

[danismm]

Eden Roc Hotel, 1955. Arch. Morris Lapidus.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

The 52-story Americana Hotel. 811 Seventh Avenue, east block between 52rd to 53rd Streets, Morris Lapidus, Kornblath, Harle & Liebman, Architects.

The Americana Hotel under construction, in Spring, 1962. View looking northeast.

Photo: Normal R. Harrison.

Source: Architectural Forum. May, 1962.

[guy60660]

The Fontainebleau Hotel | Morris Lapidus | © Juliet Ferguson/Alamy | Financial Times

[2tuff]

SUNDAY FUNDAY in South Beach!

Miami Beach, FL | September 26, 2021

[louandlillie]

1957- Shelbourne Hotel - Miami Beach

List of other greater Miami properties designed by Morris Lapidus

[pretty-nostalgic]

 Seagram's Distillers Corp., Chrysler Building, New York. Aug. 31, 1939. General view of barroom. Morris Lapidus architect.

[retropopcult]

"Americana Hotel, 52nd Street and Seventh Avenue, New York City. Coffee shop. Morris Lapidus, Harle & Liebman architects", 1962.