Full name of site: Miami South Beach Art Deco District
Country : USA
Short description of site (also include multiple locations if applicable): The c800 buildings on and around Ocean Drive built in Art Deco style during the 1930s
Criteria (cultural, natural, mixed): Cultural – criteria i, iii.
Current status: Not on T List
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: The UNESCO list doesn't contain a site of this significant 20C architectural and artistic style which had world wide impact but the town Napier is on the NZ T list. Whilst I have visited South Beach I have not been to Napier. We cannot have 2 Art Deco areas in the "Top 50 missing" but I am not qualified to state which is "superior". Napier does not claim to be so as the documentation merely states that other possible sites "would not surpass Napier in style and significance". Whatever – our Top 50 missing list needs at least ONE Art Deco location!
http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/streets/oceandrive.htm
http://www.jankaulins.com/g17+.html

I agree although I don't know any of these sites.

My initial thoughst are to support this as it is the most famous Art Deco ensemble, however Napier was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1931 sio has a real cohession. I will have to do a little more research but certainly think there is a reasonable case for an Art Deco site.

I have visited both sites. Napier is a great town, its central business district remarkably well preserved but it "feels" quite provincial in comparison with South Beach. If we can only have one site we should choose Miami. There is a comprehensive list of the Art Deco buildings of Napier at http://napier.govt.nz/council/docs/other_docs/artdeco_inventory.pdf.

Napier apparently rated below par:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5635164/Napier-art-deco-below-World-Heritag e-mark/

I just recently visited the South Beach Art Deco District. I was impressed and had a great time wandering the rather large district. While I enjoyed my visit I felt the site was more outstanding for the amount of Art Deco buildings in one area rather than any particular building that had exceptional or outstanding Art Deco elements.

Perhaps I am somewhat biased living in Los Angeles, but I feel the Art deco buildings in LA are superior in style and design. Nevertheless, while the Art Deco buildings in LA are primarily located in the downtown area, they are also located on Wilshire Blvd, and Hollywood. They are not located solely in one particular district.

*Sidenote - The LA Conservancy offers a great tour of the Art Deco buildings in downtown LA

Downtown:

Oviatt Building (1927) *Famous for its Art Deco interior

Garfield Building (1928) *Vacant for the last 20 years

The Sun Realty Building (1930)

Ninth and Broadway Building (1931)

Southern California Edison Company Building (1931)

Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building (1931)

Eastern Columbia Building (1931) *Mostly converted to an apartment building

Wilshire Blvd:

Bullocks Wilshire (1929) *Orignially a department store, now part of the Southwest Law University

Wiltern Theatre (1931)

Hollywood:

Pantages Theatre (1930)

Los Feliz:

Griffith Observatory (1935)