A Mediterranean Revival apartment house with Art Deco touches, built in 1935 from designs by Martin L. Hampton.
At a glance
Penthouse Court, now called Les Jardins of South Beach Condominium, stands at 1620-22 Pennsylvania Avenue in the Miami Beach Architectural District. It is composed of two symmetrical three-storey buildings set around a tropical garden. The property is listed in the City of Miami Beach Historic Property Viewer.
History
Building permit 6240 was issued by the City of Miami Beach in 1934. Construction was completed the following year. The commission came at a moment when investment in South Beach real estate had become popular. Martin L. Hampton, the architect, turned increasingly to Mediterranean Revival houses and apartments around Flamingo Park during this period. Penthouse Court is an evident expression of that style.
Hampton was active in Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Hollywood during the 1920s and 1930s. Among his earlier works are the Great Southern Hotel of Hollywood (1924), the Bathing Casino of Hollywood (1925), the Country Club of Coral Gables (1923) and Miami Beach City Hall (1927).
What you see
The apartment buildings rise three floors. On the first and second floors, each building contains three apartments. A single penthouse occupies the third floor of each. Balconies open from the second and third floors in a characteristic Mediterranean manner, and the roofs are covered with Spanish tile.
An iron “flamingo” gate leads into a tropical garden. Inside, original hand-forged iron staircase railings from the 1930s remain in place, along with an iron gate that leads to the third-floor penthouse. Mosaics enrich the common areas, garden, stairwells and some interiors of both buildings.
Cultural significance
Penthouse Court sits within the Miami Beach Architectural District. The property appears on the RuskinaARC historic database. A National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Congress Building lists Penthouse Court as designed by Hampton in 1934, placing the building within the documented record of the architect’s work.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Miami Beach
- Coordinates: 25.789838, -80.134643
Practical information & getting there
The property is located one block from Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.
Sources & resources
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