A new exhibition at The Wolfsonian-FIU is spotlighting Miami Beach’s Historic Art Deco District.

“Simon Chaput: Miami Beach Art Deco Architecture” presented on the occasion of the 16th World Congress on Art Deco, pays tribute to the city’s signature Deco landmarks.

18 black-and-white photographs showcase the stylistic and structural elements of the city’s iconic buildings, built in the 1930s and ‘40s. Many of these were shot during the pandemic as the city was deserted.

Born in France in 1952, Simon Chaput is a fine arts photographer who works mostly in black and white.

His photographs take visitors back to the days when the buildings were in their purest form, without their colorful pastels, and pay tribute to their unique geometric style and architectural features.

Have a look and admire the buildings’ trademark “eyebrows”, ribbon windows, roof terraces, and portholes, which stand out against the artist’s darkened skies.

Tudor House, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist L. Murray Dixon, architect, 1936 1111 Collins Avenue

Post Office, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Howard Lovewell Cheney, architect, 1937 1300 Washington Avenue

McAlpin Hotel, Miami Beach, 2020 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist L. Murray Dixon, architect, 1940 1424 Ocean Drive

Haddon Hall, Miami Beach, 2020 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist L. Murray Dixon, architect, 1940 1500 Collins Avenue

Essex House, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Henry Hohauser, architect, 1938 1001 Collins Avenue

Delano Hotel, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Robert Swartburg, architect, 1947 1685 Collins Avenue

Carlyle Hotel, Miami Beach, 2020 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Kiehnell and Elliott, architects, 1941 1250 Ocean Drive

Breakwater Hotel, Miami Beach, 2020 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Anton Skislewicz, architect, 1939 940 Ocean Drive

Beach Patrol, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Robert A. Taylor, architect, c. 1934 1001 Ocean Drive

Apt on 16, Miami Beach, 2014 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist Roy F. France, architect, 1935 1525 Pennsylvania Avenue

Haddon Hall, Miami Beach, 2020 Archival pigment print on fiber paper Courtesy of the artist L. Murray Dixon, architect, 1940 1500 Collins Avenue

“Simon Chaput’s photographs call attention to the structural elements and decorative details of Art Deco District architecture,” reads a museum statement.

“Reduced to pure geometric forms on the background of Chaput’s signature black sky, his architectural shots become abstract compositions that emphasize line and shape, giving the iconic structures a special, metaphysical aura.”

Some of the landmarks photographed include hotels like the Breakwater (1939, Anton Skislewicz), the Carlyle (1941, Kiehnell and Elliott), and the Delano (1947, Robert Swartburg), as well as the Beach Patrol Headquarters building at 1001 Ocean Drive (1934, Robert A. Taylor) and the post office at 1300 Washington Ave (1937, Howard Lovewell Cheney).

The exhibition will be on display at The Wolfsonian-FIU (1001 Washington Ave) until May 28, 2023.

This show is organized by The Wolfsonian–FIU on the occasion of the 16th World Congress on Art Deco held in Miami Beach, April 20–28, 2023.