Morris Lapidus - have you heard that name?
I hadn't, but now that I know it, I don't know how I missed it before! Just picture the posh 1950's resort of Miami Beach, with all their curvy lines and over-the-top details - such as the Fountainbleu, which was featured in James Bond's Goldfinger. That whole look was the result of one architect's before-his-time work. . .Morris Lapidus! He was a Russian immigrant, who went to architecture school at Columbia, then proceeded to spend the first 20 years of his career designing innovative interiors and facades for retail stores! Then along came a commission for the Fountainbleu, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Dissed by the architecture and design community during his heydey - Morris received the major awards and acclaim towards the end of his life, when the rest of the world caught up to his Postmodernist ideas. Some of the words he coined for his designs are "woggles", "cheeseholes", and "beanpoles" - all relate to shapes and motifs he used over and over, which became synonymous with his work. . .work he later called the "Architecture of Joy". Indeed, he knew how to have fun with design while keeping in mind the utility of the space. His theatrical designs are all the rage again, as we begin to leave behind the minimalist ethic of the past few years. Look for his name - I bet you'll see it again!
