HUES OF MIAMI: An experience through the color of architecture in Little Havana and in the Art Deco District

Every day, from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, we see and perceive color in everything that we experience. Cities and cultures can be distinguished for the hues and colors that they show and communicate, but the city of Miami cannot be defined clearly with one unique palette because of its multiculturality. This project analyzes how color is used in two of the main areas of Miami: the Art Deco Historic District on Miami Beach and Little Havana. Despite that those neighborhoods are only a few miles apart, the colors used in their architecture and urban environment are very different. The study analyzes if the following different factors influence color choice: cultural aspect, flora, the buildings\u27 functions, and their time of development. Pictures were taken personally of both areas in order to collect the hues present and to identify a possible repetition to create color palettes for each neighborhood. The photographs were also used to visually compare and contrast the two areas. The results of this research showed how the tones of the hues used in the two districts were very different. Little Havana\u27s colors were very vibrant and rich; however, in the Art Deco District, they were more pastel-toned and light. The colors of the first area also had a cultural connection to Cuban people, especially in the use of the shade Maya Blue, which is frequently found in traditional Cuban art. The Art Deco District\u27s colors, instead, were specifically chosen to create a beach, sea-side holiday location that would communicate joy and liveliness. The similarities between the shades of the two areas were not many, but it is very clear that both created a very cheerful and joyful atmosphere in their own ways. Also, a hue choice that was recurrent in both areas was that of turquoise, probably as a reference to the proximity of the neighborhoods to the sea