Normandy Isle Walking Tour Compressed
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70-foot “whiteway” boulevard (referring to a road- ings are tightly woven together along the curving Explore the Normandy Isles way lighted with the White Way lighting system). A streets of the islands, allowing the development of a National Register Historic large site at the southeast corner of the island, on sense of community within each building as well as the axis of Brest Esplanade, was set aside for the along the streets. The commercial district, organized District development of a grand hotel. around the Vendome Plaza and fountain, is particu- larly good urban space. In total, the Normandy Isles Levy also conceived and promoted the Isle of Nor- approximates a fully developed garden city. Miami Beach’s Normandy Isles Historic District was mandy as an element of his proposed Everglades listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Avenue Causeway linking North Beach to mainland Architecture 2008. Its boundaries span the eastern portions of Miami, as well as to Hialeah Park Racetrack, which The architectural vocabulary of the myriad small two partially man-made islands in Biscayne Bay, the lay directly to the west. Initial plans were prepared buildings in the Normandy Isles district reflects an Isle of Normandy and Normandy Shores. Within by an engineer named Lassiter and submitted to the unusual assemblage of mid-century modern themes. this roughly 14 block area are 237 buildings and U.S. Corp of Engineers for approval as Miami’s Young architects like Gilbert M. Fein, Frank Wyatt one object, 201 of which are contributing and 36 of third causeway (after the Collins Causeway and Woods and Gerard Pitt dominated the new construc- which are non-contributing to the architectural signifi- County Causeway). Completed in 1929, the Ever- tion, while other more established architects like Jo- cance of the district. Constructed between 1925 and glades Avenue Causeway incorporated the divided seph DeBrita, Leonard Glasser, Harry O. Nelson, 1963, the contributing buildings represent a variety parkway system called North and South Everglades and Manfred Ungaro were also quite influential. of styles including Mediterranean Revival, Classical Concourses (later renamed 71 Street and Normandy Together, these architects defined a new direction of Revival, Masonry Vernacular, Minimal Traditional, Drive) that bisected the Isle of Normandy. The two mid-century modern design in Miami Beach. The Art Deco and Moderne; however the vast majority of roads met at Vendome Plaza, whose triangular lay- mostly flat-roofed buildings, faced in field stone, the buildings are of the postwar modern style with out formed the commercial and civic center for the slump brick, patterned stucco and perforated con- distinct local adaptations that have become recog- area. At the center of Vendome Plaza was the Ven- crete screens, punctuated by idiosyncratic pylon nized as “Miami Modern” or “MiMo”. dome Fountain, a centerpiece of the island’s civic forms, projecting concrete fins and decorative mod- arts program. The Normandy Isles would emerge, ern metal-works, often wrapped around intimate gar- History like Coral Gables, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, den patios, convey a consistent architectural sensibil- Henri Levy’s Normandy Beach Properties Corpora- Opa Locka, and other Miami garden city suburbs, ity. It nonetheless demonstrates a high degree of tion began development of the Normandy Isles in as a decorous laboratory of “City Beautiful” era continuity with earlier architectural trends, including 1926. Nominally themed French (undoubtedly an planning and modern community development. vernacular, Mediterranean and Moderne style build- homage to Levy’s homeland), the Isle of Normandy ings. The architects acclaimed for the construction of was particularly distinguished by its generous infra- Urban Form South Beach, only 50 blocks to the south, are still structure and comprehensive planning. The island’s Although sparsely developed in the 1920’s and present here. Indeed, significant buildings by L. Oceanside (1926) and Trouville (1926) subdivi- 30’s, the islands were largely urbanized in the post- Murray Dixon, Henry Hohauser, Igor Polevitzky, sions, both laid out prior to the real estate bust of the war period. Comprehensively zoned, the island Albert Anis, Victor H. Nellenbogen and B. Robert same year, were designed by D.E. Rossetter, an en- yielded well-defined areas of commercial develop- Swartburg left a small but notable footprint. For gineer noted as ‘a master city builder’ who was for- ment, apartment and hotel districts, and neighbor- good measure, these earlier styles remain inter- merly associated with Carl G. Fisher Properties. The hoods of single-family homesites. Within each sub- spersed among its postwar modern structures. picturesque, gracefully curving and tree-lined park- district, the scale and expression of buildings is ways, ample waterfront lots and a golf course were largely consistent; a product of the fact that so much combined with esplanades and a civic monument in of the area was constructed in a compact period of a central place which functioned as a town center. time by a relatively small group of architects. Largely Bay Drive, which encircled Normandy Island, was a one and two-story garden-oriented residential build- www.MiMoOnTheBeach.com 1 www.MiMoOnTheBeach.com 2 6 12 A Sampler of Buildings — MiMo and other styles — in the 350 South Shore Drive 1255-65 Marseille Gilbert M. Fein Drive Normandy Isles Historic District 1958 Gilbert M. Fein 1955 1 7 13 Vendome Fountain and 250 South Shore Drive 1200-10 Marseille Plaza Leonard H. Glasser Drive constructed by developer, 1953 Gilbert M. Fein Henri Levy, 1926 1958 2 8 14 7149 Bay Drive 1165 Marseille Drive 1120-30 Marseille R. Boilard E. F. Hauser Drive 1928 1957 Gilbert M. Fein (Med. Revival) 1955 3 9 15 2 South Shore Drive 1185 Marseille Drive 1133 Normandy Drive Manfred M. Ungarro Maurice Weintraub Frances Hoffman 1953 1960 1958 4 10 16 75 South Shore Drive 1211-19 Marseille 1134 Normandy Drive Gilbert M. Fein Drive Gilbert M. Fein 1958 Gilbert M. Fein 1959 1954 5 11 17 275-301 South Shore 1225-33 Marseille 1164 Normandy Drive Drive Drive architect unknown Gilbert M. Fein Nathan Seiderman 1952 1953 1956 www.MiMoOnTheBeach.com 3 18 24 30 King Cole Apts. 1185 71 Street 6930 Rue Vendome 900 Bay Drive Don Reiff Nathan Seiderman Fridstein & Fitch; 1957 1951 Melvin Grossman 1961 19 25 31 6921 Rue Vendome 1137 71 Street Robert M. Nordin 6865 Bay Drive Maurice Weintraub 1958 Igor Polevitzky 1959 1948 20 26 32 1121 71 Street 940 Biarritz Drive 6881 Bay Drive A.Swary, Riley & Ross Robert M. Nordin Robert Swartberg 1954 1956 1948 21 27 33 6930 Rue Versailles 960 Bay Drive 6891 Bay Drive Gilbert M. Fein Robert Swartbeug Joseph DeBrita 1958 1951 1940 (Art Deco) 22 28 34 6835 Rue Versailles 920 Bay Drive Theodore Gottfried Gerard Pitt & 6905 Bay Drive 1956 W.C. Gorman Gerard Pitt 1956 1959 23 35 29 6946 Rue Vendome 910 Bay Drive 880 71 Street Harry O. Nelson Robert Swartberg Joseph DeBrita 1936 1951 1941 (Moderne) (Moderne) www.MiMoOnTheBeach.com 4 .