Miami Architecture Tours Launch

The Coral Gables Museum is housed in the city's original 1939 Police and Fire Station, a historic building constructed with local coral rock. This structure was a project of the Works Project Administration, designed to create jobs for local workers during the Great Depression. Sculptures by Theresa Keller depicting firemen and a family still adorn the building's exterior. Coral Gables, known as "The City Beautiful," was one of the first comprehensively planned communities in the United States, largely developed in the 1920s. The city's founder, George Merrick, envisioned a community with a unified Mediterranean Revival architectural style. This aesthetic, characterized by red-tile roofs, courtyards, and the use of native materials, defines the city's historic charm. The "From the Colonnade to City Hall" tour focuses on the work of Phineas Paist, a key architect who, along with Denman Fink, shaped the city's visual identity. Paist served as the Supervising Architect for the Coral Gables Corporation and was instrumental in designing major landmarks, including the Venetian Pool and the Coral Gables City Hall, which was constructed between 1927 and 1928. The second tour features the H. George Fink Studio, built in 1925. Fink, a relative of George Merrick, was a prolific early architect in the community and is credited with coining the term "Mediterranean" to describe the distinctive local architecture. His studio is considered a prime example of the style, incorporating a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Moorish influences. Inside the Fink Studio, visitors can find ornate details like Venetian Gothic windows, cast stonework, and decorative tiles, some of which were imported from North Africa. One notable feature is a staircase with an inscription on the final riser inspired by the Alhambra palace in Spain. The building itself was designed to resemble a collection of structures, shaping the outdoor space around it.