The Roaring 20s are it.
Thanks to the upcoming release of Baz Luhrmann’s cinematic retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” all things 1920s related are enjoying a much deserved revival and one of the most recognizable features of the era is the Art Deco design style.
Art Deco first appeared in France during the 1920s then spread across the world in the 1930s and 1940s. An eclectic style, Art Deco combines traditional craft motifs with imagery and materials from the modern commercial and industrial world.
The style is known for its bold colors, geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. Designers and architects were inspired by jazz music, skyscrapers, sunbursts, fountains, speed, power and ancient Egyptian and Central American imagery.
Why not live out your flapper fantasies at one of these ritzy Art Deco destinations?
Miami, Fla., United States
The Miami Beach Architectural District (also called the Art Deco District) is home to the largest collection of 1920s and 1930s architecture anywhere in the United States — 960 historic buildings.
These vibrantly colored buildings come from an era when Miami Beach was promoted and developed as a tropical playground.
The buildings constructed in the 1920s were designed almost exclusively in the Mediterranean Revival style, while those built in the 1930s are in the Art Deco, International or Moderne styles.
Napier, New Zealand
After the terrible destruction of the Hawkes Bay earthquake in 1931, the city of Napier was rebuilt using the modern and uplifting Art Deco style.
According to the World Heritage Trust, when it comes to comparing Napier to the other major Art Deco cities of the world “none… surpass Napier in style and coherence.”
Visitors to the sunny east coast city can take part in daily Art Deco tours and in February the city hosts its annual Art Deco Weekend that includes a Great Gatsby-themed picnic.
Havana, Cuba
With more than 500 years of history, Havana, Cuba displays a variety of diverse architectural styles from 16th century castle to modern day office blocks.
The Art Deco movement first hit Havana in 1927 in the residential area of Miramar and it soon sprung up in the wealthy suburbs of Marianao and Vedado.
One of the finest surviving examples is the landmark Bacardi Building.
Mumbai, India
Art Deco-styled landmarks are found along Marine Drive and west of the Oval Maidan, making Mumbai home to the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world (after Miami).
Art Deco in Mumbai developed during the 1930s, borrowing elements from Islamic and Hindu architecture to create a new style of design called Deco-Saracenic.
