You are asked to analyze one Twentieth-Century monument in Miami as a work of architecture/planning: Miami Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida, Schultze and Weaver (1926);
NB Please focus on the full range of design criteria including site/context, exterior, interior, materials/methods of construction, environmental qualities, details & iconography.
After carefully studying the building, you should draft a 6-8page descriptive paper in third person (no Wikipedia) Your paper should be in narrative format (use words do not diagram) and include the following:
1. Historical background
• provide relevant information on patron/client, architect(s), institution, design history etc. (do not crib from the internet)
• compare with other similar projects throughout history or discussed in class
2. Speculate on context:
• how does the site of the building affect the impression it makes on you. How does it fit with the cityscape- the streets and other buildings around it?
3. Describe what you see:
• consider for example, scale, massing, entry, approach, materials, fenestration, and ornamentation
4. Analyze what you see, that is explain why you said what you did in the description
• how are you responding to the building—is it a passive or active experience?
• how does the way you are experiencing this building affect your understanding of it as a work of art?
• why is what you commented on important?
• what is your justification for your interpretation?
5. Discuss what you don’t understand
Category: Architecture history
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“The Iconic Miami Biltmore Hotel: A Twentieth-Century Monument of Architectural Grandeur and Historical Significance”