SLS South Beach Hotel vs Delano South Beach Hotel

Comparing the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Delano South Beach Hotel is interesting because they both rise in Miami, FL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, L.Murray Dixon and Robert Swartburg, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 7 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Miami across time.

Let's take a closer look!

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The SLS South Beach Hotel rises higher at 203ft (62m), while the Delano South Beach Hotel reaches 190ft (58m). However, the Delano South Beach Hotel accommodates more floors with 15 levels above ground, compared to 12 floors in the SLS South Beach Hotel.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The SLS South Beach Hotel has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 5.2m, while the Delano South Beach Hotel has more compact floors averaging around 3.9m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Delano South Beach 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.

Both the SLS South Beach Hotel and the Delano South Beach Hotel are primarily hotel towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Delano South Beach Hotel was designed for residential, but over time it was converted to hotel. The SLS South Beach Hotel by contrast has maintained its original role.

Both towers incorporate hotels as part of their program. The SLS South Beach Hotel features a 4-star hotel with 142 rooms, while the Delano South Beach Hotel includes a 5-star hotel with 194 rooms. For more details, see the official website of the SLS South Beach Hotel. You can also visit the official website of the Delano South Beach Hotel.

The Delano South Beach Hotel also provides 700 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.