Design Book Magazine

Sign up for Design Book updates, news and events!

Text by:

Vanessa Fioravante

Images Courtesy of:

NBWW

Send to Friend

Miami has evolved from far-off swampland to an alluring tropical playground characterized by sunny shores, beautiful people, and iconic architecture. Throughout the 1950 and 60s architect Morris Lapidus designed the famous and flamboyant hotels that defined the image of Miami Beach in a post-war style known as Miami Modern (MiMo). Decade's later, Lapidus' legendary Miami Beach properties like the Fontainebleau, Eden Roc, and DiLido hotels have been restored to their original, over-the-top style by the architects of Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates (NBWW).

Dubbed the ‘Beach Boys' for their repeat leading role in the design, restoration, and redesign of nearly a dozen well-known properties in South Florida, NBWW has become the architecture firm of choice for sensitive historic restorations of treasured Art Deco landmarks. The company continually produces work that upholds the regional design heritage, but with a modern twist.

NBWW's first landmark project was the design of the 800-room Loews Hotel in the early 90's, the first convention-size hotel built in Miami in the last 40 years. This project was a combination of a new building and a complete renovation of the old St. Moritz hotel. Starting a trend that has led to a rebranding of the City of Miami Beach as a contemporary Art Deco oasis, NBWW brought to life the elegant Art Nouveau/Moderne style for the Loews, a commission won in a public competition sponsored by the City of Miami Beach. Infusing historic landmarks with modern materials and ocean-inspired movement, NBWW has become an authority on Miami's inimitable MiMo style.

"We worked very hard with the city and our client to bring about a composition that was respectful to the status of the St. Moritz as a historically significant piece of architecture, while bringing a new structure next to it and adding all the modern amenities that guests expect," says Bruce Brosch, President of NBWW.

Most recent of their projects was the complete renovation and additions to the iconic Fontainebleau Resort complex, which re-opened in November 2008. As the lead design architect, NBWW oversaw the three-year, multi-million dollar overhaul, including updates to the original 1954 Lapidus-designed Chateau Building, recreating some of the original architectural features such as the grand staircase and the garden lobby, as well as restoring Lapidus' embellishments like the perforated "Swiss cheese" outer walls.

The team also designed the new 40,000-square-foot Lapis Spa as and two new condo-hotel towers, the 462-unit Fontainebleau II (Tresor) and the 240-unit Fontainebleau III (Sorrento), both of which feature an Art Moderne aesthetic to complement the architectural style of the original Fontainebleau Resort. Sorrento is especially notable as the west facade is a reconstruction of the original Sorrento Hotel built in the 1940s.

"Working on the renovations and additions to Miami Beach's most legendary hotel was an exciting challenge as we had to get down to a very high level of historical detail and research," says Don Wolfe, Vice President of NBWW. "Ensuring that historic integrity was maintained, as well as coordinating the construction logistics and project schedules, required close work with the City of Miami Beach Historical Preservation Board."

At The Eden Roc, a Marriott Renaissance Resort & Spa, NBWW balanced the demands of new construction with the renovation and preservation of the historic structure. A new 200-room tower was also added to fit in gracefully with its neighbor, The Fontainebleau.

When designing the The Ritz-Carlton South Beach, NBWW continued to follow in the footsteps of Lapidus, who designed the building's original structure as the DiLido Hotel, in 1953. Carefully overseeing the historic preservation, NBWW transformed Miami Beach's landmark DiLido into The Ritz-Carlton South Beach in 1999. Keeping the original design elements of the curved grand lobby, Art Deco entry court, retail arcade, and linear façade, NBWW conducted the restoration and additions to reflect the MiMo aesthetic, reinventing this aging structure and ultimately winning the 2006 ABC award for Excellence in Construction for Renovation / Historical Restoration.

"Ritz-Carlton hotels represent the highest level of luxury in resort accommodations and the DiLido has been an iconic structure throughout Miami Beach's rich design history," says James Wurst, Vice President of NBWW. "It was a great honor for our team to have the opportunity to restore the building's most remarkable assets and introduce modern elements and the characteristics of five-star resorts today."

Founded in 1967, NBWW is internationally acclaimed for its architectural design and planning of luxury hotels and resorts, luxury spas, multi-family residential, mixed-use centers, high-end office buildings and retail projects throughout the world. For more than 40 years, the firm has been involved in the planning and design of over $4 billion dollars in new construction and renovations encompassing more than 35,000 hotel rooms. NBWW's ability to restore key historic features while incorporating their own interpretation of MiMo, has undoubtedly solidified the firm's place in South Beach history. From the early 90's through today, this highly talented team has ensued on a path of historic preservation and innovation as they continue to build South Florida's new architectural legacy.

"Architecture must relate to the human spirit and reflect its environment and social context as well as its function," concludes John Nichols, Founder and CEO of NBWW. "It has been an honor to be able to follow in Morris Lapidus's footsteps and restore his historic designs while providing our own interpretations of what these hotels and their additions should look like for the 21st century and beyond."

For more information on NBWW visit: www.nbww.com.