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This is where Jimmy Buffett once cooked his “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” where you could go to a Queen concert for $ 3 – even by boat – and where some of the world’s fastest motorboats made waves in front of national television audiences in Biscayne Bay.
Recent efforts to restore the venerable Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key have gone beyond preserving concerts from a floating stage. It’s about throwing a lifebuoy to one of the few remaining Cuban architectural wonders in the Miami area.
“Some of us have no history in Cuba,” said Miami-born Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado. “There are very few buildings from the 1960s and 1970s (with a Cuban design). People come from everywhere and can go back (to their own architecture). We don’t have this Lujo (luxury). Miami Marine Stadium is that for us. “
On Monday evening, Regalado hosted a Zoom panel discussion titled “The Most Cuban Building in Miami … From Havana to Miami: The Architectural and Cultural Importance of the Miami Marine Stadium” with multiple dignitaries. Among them was Hilario F. Candela, who in 1963, as a 28-year-old immigrant from Cuba, designed the 6,566-seat stadium that survived hurricanes, moisture and even a hasty demolition decision.
“The Miami Marine Stadium presents itself as something special,” he said during the exclusively Spanish-speaking discussion. “Over the years there have been many opportunities for the city (of Miami) to listen … but many years have passed since its great presence and a lot has changed, like climate change and the 1992 hurricane (Andrew) who has done so much damage … The voice of Miami Marine Stadium rose and I am here for the city. “
Candela pointed out that, according to Andrew in a study conducted by the city, “the stadium was damaged but it was wrong … and they were going to tear it down”.
Country: United States Location: Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium Caption: Basin Speedboat Racing Image Date: 1964 Photographer: Miami-Metro Department of Publicity & Tourism Provenance: 2010 Watch Nomination Original: from Share File
In 2008, the World Monuments Fund (with the local Friends of Miami Marine Stadium) jumped on board and put it in the same breath as otherworldly magnificent buildings like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Taj Mahal in India.
Candela said back in 2010 that he used the word pausa (pause) to explain progress because “every time they kept talking about it, the public wanted it and there was international support for it.
“This break is a little longer than it should be and I think there shouldn’t be a break,” he added. “It has to stop and reality begins. The stadium is tired of the breaks. The stadium wants to come back in an extraordinary art form. “
When the stadium was built, the cost was about $ 1 million – under budget, Candela said – and there was a $ 900,000 fee to dredge the basin.
The 326-foot-long structure – which was erected on a piece of land donated by the prominent Matheson family – has eight tall sloping pillars and a cantilevered folding panel roof that defies its age.
“I’ve always loved Miami,” said Candela. “This stadium (and the location) was like a dream, the most important area there for (views) of water and land – very few places in the world that have such a place.”
“The roof is like a replica of the reflection of the water and the sound of the water against that roof is a memory,” said Candela. “It was a dream, but you had to be careful … We had carpenters on the roof who had experience of woodworking (handicrafts) on the ships in Miami.”
Today, despite tropical heat, summer rainstorms and even hurricanes, the roof has stood the test of time, said Rosa Lowinger, President / Chief Conservator of RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture, who showed a screenshot of the roof from a video.
“It didn’t knock it down hurricane after hurricane,” Lowinger said. “It hasn’t been serviced in 30 years, but close-ups of the roof that gives this structure its identity look pristine.”
Lowinger said contemporary and modern architecture is not easy to understand.
“(Back) in the 20s and 30s it took a while to understand Art Deco,” she explained. “Buildings like this represent a specific time. … it is important in Cuba in the 50s and 40s. This architecture (without copying it from other countries) represents its own community. … We don’t have a Chrysler Building or, say, Independence Hall. Our area is (built up) modern architecture. “
The stadium was the location of Elvis Presley’s “Clambake” movie, concerts from Gloria Estefan to the Boston Pops to the Beach Boys, Easter services, professional boxing matches, seaplane races and even a memorable onstage hug from President Richard Nixon (then a resident of Key Biscayne) to entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
“The list is so long,” said Lowinger. “It was difficult to keep the programs at that level.”
She said that after Hurricane Andrew, when the city declared the building unsafe, FEMA provided money for the demolition. But when a later study said the stadium was structurally fine, the city returned the money to FEMA.
Recently, the stadium – once known as a scenic area for marriage proposals – has been home to graffiti artists, and preservation of their artwork is also being considered.
The Keeping it Modern website lists more than a dozen buildings it believes are of vital importance – like the Sydney Opera House and Miami Marine Stadium.
The stadium has also been recognized as an architectural masterpiece by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was included in the 2009 list of 11 “Most Endangered”.
“We have a gem,” said Lowinger.
Maintaining such a structure goes beyond the concrete and galvanized roof.
Javier Ors Austin, Program Manager at the World Monuments Fund – which identifies 25 projects around the world and delivers work within two years – said, “It’s not just about value (structure), it’s about the economic impact it creates, and the reopening to the public for tourism, which affects the economy. “
What’s next?
The restoration plans are ready and can be sent to make an offer and find a developer. Conversations with city officials, the county commission, calls and letters help.
“Just to explain that we have an opportunity to restore something so valuable that represents Cuban-American (heritage),” Lowinger said. “Art Basel wouldn’t be in Miami Beach if these buildings weren’t restored… and this economic change (made that) a central art area, and Miami Marine Stadium has the same factor.
“This building has already received awards and raised money (from other benefactors). We don’t have to start over. The train has already left the station. “
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