International studio (81.1925)

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HOME OF S. A. RYAN, CORAL GABLES LOUIS BRUMM, ARCHITECT

largest and finest in southern Florida, made new case it has been secured through the working fellow-

industrial records. Meanwhile the trading post ship of experts on Spanish art, whether artists,

grew to a city. Miami seems never to have been city planners, architects or landscape designers,

a village. It sprung full fledged into a metropolis, These men know their Spain from long study and

with, however, little resemblance to its present much travel. They have an intimate acquaintance

cosmopolitan character. To the south, Coconut with Seville, Granada and Toledo, and with the

Grove developed, containing some of the finest less familiar cities. There are specialists among

estates in Dade County. When Mr. James Deer- specialists, some devoting their talents to Moorish

ing built his Italian villa, rivaling an old world themes, others to more purely Spanish types,

palace, an important milestone was reached in another group to Spanish as influenced by the

Miami's history. For a parallel, and that on very Italian, particularly the Venetian. Just as Spain

different lines, one must turn to the George is made up of inter-related styles, so it is at Coral

Vanderbilt estate, "Biltmore," North Carolina. Gables. Thus both variety and unity are expressed

They make interesting comparisons and contrasts, in a manner rare in American planning,

with the common basis of great wealth. That Mr. In 1921, Mr. Merrick began the building of

Vanderbilt chose French Renaissance in the late Coral Gables. Today there are more than five

nineteenth century was just as indicative of the hundred houses, schools, a community church, a

taste of his day as Mr. Deering's selection of post-office, a bank, a large country club, golf

Italian in the early twentieth. grounds, a well-appointed inn, a big hotel in the

The present keen interest in the Spanish style process of construction and a prosperous business

in Palm Beach and Miami shows that architects section, comprising in ah an approximate area of

are realizing the great opportunity Florida pre- four square miles. Geographically, Coral Gables

sents in the way of climate, background and his- lies southwest of Miami, about three miles from

torical traditions. That all these assets have been the heart of that city and on the Tamiami Trail

turned to account one realizes instantly at Coral which extends through the Everglades, from the

Gables, also that at last the dream of architects Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Other

the world over has been given substance, namely, important highways which pass through or near

a large architectural and landscape composition this unique suburb are the Dixie, the Cape Sable,

definitely planned from the beginning and exe- the Overseas and Bird Road. Coral Way is the

cuted by specialists. Magic has always been more main bouvelard running east and west. A zone

than the mere rubbing of Aladdin's lamp. In this system has been used separating the various

MAY I925

one hundred nine