From the desk of our Summer PR Intern, Alexandra Davin.

Last week, the 2010 American Institute of Architects, or AIA, National Convention was hosted in Miami, FL. Thousands migrated to the eclectic city for the nation’s largest annual gathering of design professionals. These visitors not only experienced the Southern Florida heat, but were also engulfed in a world of decorative arts—Miami boasts one of the world’s best kept Art Deco regions. Could there be a more perfect meeting place for thousands of architecture-lovers?

Personally, Miami’s Art Deco District elicits embarrassment in my mind, though my feelings are in no way due to the region itself. This humiliation stems from an experience of total tourism. A few years ago, my family took a cruise departing from the Port of Miami and it happened that we had four hours of down time before we could board the ship. My interior designer and “lover of all things architecture” mother created her perfect plan to fill the layover—a walking tour of the Art Deco region. In theory, it was a great idea; in reality, not so much. Imagine four pasty-skinned Pittsburghers, wandering the foreign streets, arms overflowing with maps and a prehistoric walkie-talkie to direct us on our self-guided tour. It didn’t help that my was channeling Miami Vice’s Don Johnson in white linen pants. FYI, that look died along with the show in the late 1980s.

Though the three hour tour was somewhat nightmarish, I honestly did gain an appreciation for the Art Deco architectural style. Popular from 1925 to the early 1940s, its structures are based on geometric shapes. The ornamental look features trapezoids, zigzags and right angles galore. Interestingly, Art Deco is purely decorative and thought to be a reaction to the forced seriousness of the World War I era. Aluminum, stainless steel, and inlaid wood are popular materials for construction and pastel paints are often used as well. The movement was experienced worldwide, though many instances of the style are available around the United States. Two well known examples are the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, both located in New York City.

The Miami Beach area features one of the most extensive Art Deco districts worldwide. The region features 30 blocks of hotels, apartment buildings, and homes constructed in the style. In 1979, the Art Deco District of Miami Beach was named to the National Register of Historic Places, and each building was carefully restored and repainted to match its original look. Click to visit the Miami Art Deco District’s official website—you can even sign up for that infamous walking tour!