The standout feature is the vertical fin on the front of the building bearing the Chatham Apts name and I love the way Apartments has been abbreviated to Apts. The fin stretches high above the roofline with a flagpole on top and appears to require extra support from a element which I would describe as a double surfboard loggia as it is similar to the example on the Avram Villa in Asmara.
The shade eyebrows over the windows are interesting. Some are squared off while others on the cental section are curved.
The building is white with blue highlights including the three speedlines around the top of the facade.There is also interesting decoration either side of the fin just above the entrance. These rectangular boxes are actually air conditioners which have been disguised to work with the Art Deco architecture.
At the front of the property there is a lovely low concrete fence constructed of interlocking semi-circles.
The building is curved on the ends and understandably the eyebrows are also curved.
The air conditioning units stand out a bit more on the corner but it is still a very elegant solution to one of necessities for Florida living.
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How many of these Art Deco buildings still have art deco interiors? Do you ever get a look at what they are like inside?
ReplyDeleteI certainly haven't been inside all of these buildings and it varies a lot how much of the interior remains.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been inside this building and I would expect that most hotels and commercial buildings would have been 'modernised' at some point over the past 70-80 years.
Sometimes specific parts of a building remain intact, for example in Melbourne we have the Mural Hall in Myers Department Store and the boardroom at Manchester Unity.
With residential properties it also varies a great deal but there are many people who value what they have and renovate in a sympathic fashion.