Over the course of his career in architecture, Mid Century Modern architect Morris Lapidus designed more than 1,000 buildings. Despite that impressive output, Lapidus described himself as an “outsider,” and seldom saw his works appearing in magazines alongside those of establishment architects. Let’s learn more about this prolific architect.
Early Life
Lapidus was born in the Russian Empire in what is now part of Ukraine. When he was an infant, his family had to flee the country to escape from pogroms against Orthodox Jewish people. They moved to New York, where he grew up.
Originally, Lapidus studied theater. While learning about set design, he began studying architecture, originally for that purpose. But that ended up becoming his main focus over time. After he graduated from Columbia University in 1927, he went to work for Warren and Wetmore, a Beaux Arts firm. This was the start of his career in architecture and design.
Career and Philosophy
While Lapidus would later become known for his work on hotels, he actually spent the first 22 years of his career working with Ross-Frankel as a retail interior designer. It was only at that point that he was invited to “doctor” a few existing hotels in Miami. His efforts at upgrading those hotels were so successful that he subsequently found himself commissioned not just for redesigns and additions, but for original designs as well.
Lapidus’ 1950s and 1960s hotels in Miami and beyond became iconic. So, what made him an outsider in the architectural world during the mid century period?
Much of it came down to his design philosophy. Although Lapidus was a modernist, in many ways, his approach to modernism was antithetical to that of many popular architects of the time.
Lapidus once explained, “My whole success is I’ve always been designing for people, first because I wanted to sell them merchandise. Then when I got into hotels, I had to rethink, what am I selling now? You’re selling a good time.”
To help hotel guests have that good time, he rejected the maxim that “form follows function.” Instead, he asserted that through his work, “feelings find form.”
Another maxim that informed much of Mid Century Modern design was Mies van der Rohe’s phrase “less is more.” This, too, Lapidus rejected, proclaiming instead, “too much is never enough.”
The Morris Lapidus Foundation explains, “In Lapidus’s case, because his work violated modernist decorum, the institutions and outlets of mid-century architectural authority marginalized Lapidus and used his work as a target for censure. This censure was formulated in various ways at different times, but it was inextricably tied to modernism’s trajectory from avant-garde to mainstream.”
It was only once mainstream modern architecture began giving way to postmodern architecture after the mid century period that the mid century works of Lapidus really began to receive full recognition.
Famous Works
Morris was commissioned to design The Fountainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach, which opened in 1954. This hotel has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies, such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Sopranos, Policy Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach, Scarface, and Goldfinger.
Above is another iconic Lapidus hotel, the Eden Roc. Believe it or not, the Eden Roc is directly next door to the Fountainbleau, and there is actually an interesting story there.
Some other hotels that Lapidus worked on include the Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, the Aruba Hotel, the Deauville Resort, the Concord Resort, the Golden Triangle Motor Hotel, the Capital Skyline Hotel, and the Summit Hotel. In total, he designed 250 hotels around the world.
While it took time for the world to catch onto Morris Lapidus’ architecture and to embrace his philosophy, we are glad that his Mid Century Modern works finally are appreciated by both the public and the architectural community.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Miami Modernism in West Vancouver and Mid Century Modern Hotels from Chicago, Portland and More. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for more Atomic Ranch articles, house tours, and ideas!
