In Honor of The Art Deco District and Miami's Defining Architecture
Time Out Market Miami and Mastercard are celebrating the Magic City with cocktails inspired by some of its most celebrated locations and landmarks.
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02/19/2026
In this edition, we're following the rise of Miami Beach's most defining architecture style by tracing the history of the Art Deco District.
With over 800 designated historic buildings between 5th and 23rd streets, South Beach's Art Deco District is a must-visit for tourists and locals alike! Urban explorers have a lot of ground to cover when traversing this neighborhood destination, which represents the largest concentration of art deco in America. And thanks to the hard work of the Miami Beach Preservation League, we continue to enjoy these treasured edifices for years to come as they take on new lives as hotels, private apartments, restaurants and luxury shops. But how did this charming style come to define Miami Beach?
In the 1930s, South Beach's forefathers lured architects to build a city in the sand that would attract middle class vacationers looking for a sunny respite. They settled on two architectural styles that had premiered at the 1925 Paris World's Fair: Art Deco and Streamline Moderne. Both were streamlined and stylish, fabulous and forward thinking. Above all else, they were inexpensive to build; Miami had only just begun rebuilding itself after the Great Hurricane of 1925 and the imminent Great Depression greatly threatened this resort town's tourism prospects.
The first buildings in the Miami Beach Art Deco style were generally two and three stories tall. They adhered strictly to the "rule of three," a symmetrical approach where every building could be evenly divided vertically and horizontally. They had windows with protruding "eyebrows" for both fashion and functionality, cheeky porthole windows to mimic cruise ships, and geometric terrazzo flooring.
You can admire it in buildings like The Webster, which is now a completely restored, high-end boutique, and The Park Central, which now houses the Celino South Beach, a sprawling 132-room luxury resort. You can also admire this iconic style through the facades of the arts centers on Lincoln Road, whether it's The Colony Theater which still hosts live performances, or the Lincoln Theater, which is now a flagship H&M.
As the '30s folded into the '40s, the hotels grew taller and the crowd more glamorous as tropical art deco resorts populated Collins Avenue with amenities like private beaches and pools. In fact, you can still live out your midcentury tropical dreams when you stay at resorts like The SLS South Beach or The National Hotel.
Time Out Market Miami is also hosting the Lur experience! This exclusive Mastercard-only 8 course tasting menu—with wine pairings— takes place at the Lur (Basque word for "earth"). Michelin-vet Aitor Garate Berasaluze creates a jaw-dropping tapas experience, transporting diners to Spain's culinary capital, Basque country, where they taste the region's hallmark dishes. This event will occur twice this month, where Chef Aitor will present a curated tasting menu with seasonal dishes and mouthwatering specialty items. With only six seats available each night, this is an exclusive event for Mastercard cardholders.
The District Margarita
(MAKES 2 COCKTAILS)
Ingredients
- 4 oz. blanco tequila
- 1.5 oz. mango puree
- 1.5 oz. lime juice
- 1 oz. triple sec
- Dash of tajin
- Serve in a rocks glass with a tajin rim and a dehydrated lime
Directions
- Before you build the District Margaritas, put a pair of rocks glasses in the freezer to chill.
- Add the tequila, mango puree, triple sec, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker.
- Add cubed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
- Strain the drink through a fine-mesh strainer (to catch the ice) into your chilled rocks glass with fresh ice added.
