SLS South Beach Hotel vs Ocean Spray Hotel


Comparing the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Ocean Spray Hotel is interesting because they both stand in Miami, FL, and were completed within 4 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.
This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.
Height & Size
The SLS South Beach Hotel is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 203ft (62m) with 12 floors above ground, while the Ocean Spray Hotel reaches 0ft (m) with 7 floors above ground.
Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.
Architectural Style
Both the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Ocean Spray Hotel were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.
Both buildings were completed when the Art Deco style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.
Uses
Both the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Ocean Spray Hotel were designed to serve as hotel towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.
The SLS South Beach Hotel incorporates a 4-star hotel with 142 rooms. More information is available at the official website.
Structure & Facade
These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.
SLS South Beach Hotel | Ocean Spray Hotel | |
---|---|---|
L.Murray Dixon | Architect | M.L.Hampton Associates |
1940 | Year Completed | 1936 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
Hotel | Current Use | Hotel |
12 | Floors Above Ground | 7 |
Stucco | Main Facade Material | Stucco |
FL | State | FL |
Miami | City | Miami |
1701 Collins Avenue | Address | 4130 Collins Avenue |