The Goodtime is a unique adaptive reuse project in Miami’s South Beach Art Deco Historic District. After decades of neglect, an entire block of single-story storefronts—many of which were landmarked—have been thoughtfully repurposed as part of a modern mixed-use hospitality development. The overall design shares the exuberance of the historic district’s famous Art Deco buildings; however, it is also abstract and obviously contemporary.
For the design of The Goodtime, the team looked to the simple, angular forms found throughout the South Beach Art Deco Historic District. While references were collected from throughout the neighborhood, there was no greater source of inspiration than the existing structures on the site. At first glance, the block of storefronts may have seemed unassuming and underwhelming, but the row played a prominent part in the 1980s renaissance of South Beach and was pivotal to the district’s historic designation.
The key objective was balancing the relationship between the historic buildings and the new construction. In The Making of Miami Beach (1933-1942), Allan T. Shulman and Jean Francois Lejeune write that “Miami Beach is a layering of consecutive urban visions, built one on top of the other and compacted in time and space.” The massing of the new construction was designed to sit back from the historic façades while reframing their context and standing independently. The resultant shape of the building will catch light differently throughout the days and seasons—inherently dynamic without being excessively ornamental.
