Detail: 1550 Collins Ave Miami Beach Florida: RuskinARC™

Basics

Resource Category:

Building

Resource Type:

Hotel

Location

Address:

1550 Collins Ave

City:

Miami Beach

County:

Miami-Dade

State/Province/Region:

Florida

Zip/Postal Code:

33139

Country:

USA

Other Address or Location Information:

Parcel/Tax number or land unit:

02-3234-019-1080

Local place name:

Setting/Landscape/Site Features:

Acreage, parcel, land unit size:

22,200 SQ FT

Quad/Map name and date:

Date

Township/Range/Section:

53S / 42E / 34

Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Historical Information

Historic name:

Tropics Hotel

Current name:

Tropics Hotel

Construction Date (range/estimated):

1940-1949

Construction Date Certainty:

documented

Known Construction Date:

1941

Source for Known Construction Date:

Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser

Architect/Designer:

Roy F. France

Developer:

Builder:

Pollock Construction Company

Significant Owner(s):

David Golden (original)

Historical Summary:

Jorgensen & Schreffler, engineer

Extant Status:

Not Demolished

Architectural Style and Form

Plan/Footprint Shape:

Building Form or Plan Type (core plan):

Collins Avenue Hotel

Style, Primary:

Art Deco

Style, Secondary:

Notes on architectural style, form, distinguishing features:

Asymmetrical facade design; Projecting "Tropics" vertical neon signage creates a vertical racing stripe on the east elevation; Horizontal banding at buildings corners, often in groups of three; Off-center ziggurat parapet roofline; Interior and exterior terrazzo floor designs; Glass block; Corner windows; Pink coral stone veneer at first floor level along porch; Continuous eyebrow over primary entryway

Architectural Elements and Features

Number of Stories:

Bays:

Structural System:

Concrete Block Stucco

Foundation:

Spread footing

Basement:

Building Size:

82' x 184'

Square footage/meters:

26,264 (adjusted)

Roof Configuration:

Flat with parapet

Roof Material

replacement

Roof remarks/description:

Eave Type:

Eave Ornamentation:

Dormer Count:

Dormer Configuration:

Exterior Wall Material (primary):

Coral stone

Exterior Wall Material (secondary):

stucco

Notes on exterior materials:

Principal Windows::

replacement aluminum

Window Panes/Lights:

Window Type:

Jalacy Casement

Window remarks:

Chimney remarks/description:

Chimney Count (first):

Chimney Placement 1:

Chimney Count (second):

Chimney Placement 2:

Porch description, characteristics, details:

Three bay-wide porch slightly off-center, to the south end, of the east elevation; Sits at ground level; Separated by low stuccoed wall; Pink coral stone veneer; Terrazzo floor design just before primary entryway

Porch Height, Stories:

Porch Configuration:

three-bay

Porch Type:

open porch

Porch Roof Shape:

Porch Roof Material:

Porch Columns/Posts (upper or only):

Porch Piers (lower):

Primary entryway:

Primary entryway is centered on the porch; Glass-double door with narrow fixed windows on either side and a rectangular fixed window above

Function and Use

Historic Function:

Domestic: Hotel

Present Function:

Domestic: Hotel

Function remarks:

Listed, Designated, or Protected Status

Status Code:

Listed at the national level?

Individually Listed: No
Contributes to a District: Yes
Landmark: No

Date, name, remarks:

Miami Beach Architectural District, 1979

Designated at State/Province level?

Individually Listed: No
Contributes to a District: No
Landmark: No

Date, name, remarks:

Designated Locally?

Individually Listed: No
Contributes to a District: Yes
Landmark: No

Date, name, remarks:

Ocean Drive/Collins Avenue District, 1986

Protected by ordinance or regulation?:

Yes

Protection status, remarks:

1985

Evaluation of Potential Eligibility

Rating or Rank

Recommended as a potential landmark?

Criteria:

C. Embodies distinctive physical characteristics of design, construction, or form.

Significance and Context

Theme(s)

Period of significance

Significance/Context Remarks

Area(s) of Significance

Architecture
Community Planning and Development

Ancillary Structures / Outbuildings

Number of ancillary structures / outbuildings:

Secondary structure type

Contributing to primary property?

Ancillary structures remarks or description:

Condition and Alterations

Character of modifications:

General Condition:

Good

Moved or Relocated?:

Date moved or relocated:

Relocation remarks:

Alterations?

Date of major alterations:

Nature of alterations:

Additions?:

Date of major additions:

Addition Height:

Addition Placement:

Addition Type:

Nature of additions:

Endangered / Threatened

Endangered by:

Endangered/Threatened remarks:

Recommendations:

Contact:

Tourism / Featured Destination

Open to the public:

Yes

Contact information, Hours, and Amenities:

For Sale, Rent, or Lease

Property Classification:

Sale status:

Sale remarks:

Owner

Ownership type:

Name of Owner:

Owner Mailing Address:

Legal Description of Property/Comments:

Survey and Recorder

Authorized Resource Number or ID :

Optional Tracking or Sequence Number:

Alternate Resource ID or Key:

Survey Date:

3/8/2013

Surveyed By:

Melinda Agron

Report Name, or Reason for Survey:

Re-survey of the district

Level of Survey:

reconnaissance

Sources, References, Bibliography

Previously Surveyed?

Yes

Name of Previous Survey:

Additional Research Recommended?

Other Sources of Information:

Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser
City of Miami Beach Planning Department records
Miami Design Preservation League records

General Remarks:

Latitude:	25.7885323683239530
Longitude:	-80.1304375993709600
UTM:	Zone 17R 587181.0850 mE, 2852553.3050 mN
Datum	WGS84

Tropics Hotel on the west side of Collins Avenue

Tropics Hotel east elevation (view when facing west on Collins Avenue)

Signage on the east elevation of the Tropics Hotel

Porch along the east elevation of the Tropics Hotel

Primary entryway along the east elevation of the Tropics Hotel

Terrazzo floor design and glass block in the lobby of the Tropics Hotel

Terrazzo floor design in the lobby of the Tropics Hotel

Glass block in the lobby of the Tropics Hotel

Attached Files

1550_COLLINS_AV.pdf

1550 Collins Ave Miami Beach, Florida USA

Attached Files

Located in