The years following the First World War marked Miami’s first major period of expansion, spurred on by construction of the city’s first skyscrapers, including the Miami Daily News building, now Freedom Tower. The devastating 1926 hurricane dealt a major blow to the city’s economic growth, amplified by the onset of the Great Depression. Signs of recovery solidified with the 1939 completion of the Alfred I. DuPont building, an outstanding example of Art Deco design. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the DuPont building, The Wolfsonian reflects upon this architectural legacy and its role in transforming a seaside town into a vibrant modern metropolis.

This exhibition of interwar Downtown Miami architecture includes drawings, blueprints, and ephemera from The Wolfsonian–FIU, with loans from The Historic Alfred I. DuPont Building and Tilia Companies, and the University of Miami School of Architecture Archival Collections.

The exhibition was made possible through the support of THE HISTORIC ALFRED I. DUPONT BUILDING and TILIA COMPANIES.