Post #137773 by bigbrotiki on Thu, Jan 27, 2005 2:59 PM

Just got the new Chronicle Book on Miami Modern, "MiMo", at Eightball. It is a long overdue attempt to do for Miami what Alan Hess did with "Googie" for Southern California. In the Ford Lauderdale section they mention the Mai Kai, alas without photos, and some text straight from the BOT, (the BOT and Tiki Road Trip ARE in the bibliopgraphy), but ANY mention of this rare Tiki Temple is appreciated and helpful.

I wish I would have had this book last week when I was in Fort Lauderdale, because many other interesting midcentury examples are listed.

I am happy to say that "MiMo" is another important step for the recognition of midcentury modern architecture. Great stories about Frank Sinatra and other luminairies liven it up so that it is not merely an architectural treatise.
It has two nice images of The Castaways. The same architect also built The Alexander on 5225 Collins Ave. Does anybody have pictures of it's facade with "a full height abstract painted stucco relief reminiscent of Polynesian art"?

...and if you want to be brought to tears of laughter, get James' Lileks' new book shredding 70s interior decor, "Interior Desecrations"! It is funnier than sh*t, even funnier than Tikifish, and that on EVERY page!

"The glasses, the chairs - everything had bell-bottoms. It was the way of my people."