Miami Modern

In the years following World War II a form of design came into being that was innovative in its approach to resort area architecture. Designers such as Morris Lapidus, Norman Giller and Igor Polevitzky combined elements of the International and Bauhaus styles with a touch of whimsical fantasy to create a form of resort architecture now known as “Miami Modern” or “MiMO.”

The term “MiMO” was created by Randall Robinson, Jr. and interior designer Teri D’Amico who, along with Eric Nash, are the authors of “MiMO: Miami Modern Revealed.” Their book is the current authority on the subject of MiMO.

Miami Modern architecture developed in parallel with the West Coast’s “Googie” movement which produced so many wonderfully memorable structures in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

For our purposes, MiMO is best presented in the area of Miami Beach from the current Fontainebleau hotel at 41st Street up through Motel Row in Sunny Isles, which unfortunately is now long gone, having fallen victim to the hi-rise condo boom (and bust) some years ago.