South Beach was at the heart of an economic boom in the "Roaring Twenties," when rich families looked for a new way to spend their money on holiday destinations. They embraced "modern" architecture with the same passion as they did modern technologies such as automobiles and radios. To accommodate these visitors, Miami built a compact neighborhood in a style described as linking modernism and consumerism.

The art deco movement drew inspiration from the modern art movements, particularly the concept of multiple points of view of cubism, and the themes of machines and motion in futurism. Art deco also tried to hint at other art forms, like jazz and swing music and the dance fashions of the era.

Although it was similar in context and emphasis to the decorative style of "art nouveau," a stronger connection to modernism distinguished art deco. Unlike art nouveau, it emphasized a functional design based on logic and geometry.   >>>