Giller, Ira Interview

Material Information

Subjects / Keywords:: Oral histories—Miami Beach (Fla.)
Miami Modern architecture
Lapidus, Morris
Jewish Museum of Florida
Genre:: Video Recordings
Spatial Coverage:: United States -- Florida -- Miami Beach
Coordinates:: 25.814176 x -80.130138

Scope and Content:: Ira Giller grew up mid-century in the Miami Beach world of architecture and design. His father, Norman Giller, is considered the “Father of MiMo,” or the Miami Modern style of architecture. He explains that MiMo was not an intentional, defined genre at the time of its execution. It only came to be called by that term years later after his father and other architects prolific period of construction, using new materials available widely at the time and the widespread use of air-conditioning which enabled buildings to visually open up to the outside and still stay cool inside. He tells about his frequent lunches with his father and Morris Lapidus and Lapidus’ coming to terms with the controversy over his exuberant designs, especially the criticism of his landmark hotel, The Fontainebleau. He talks about the renovation of the Jewish Museum, of which he is proudest, and of what like to work renovating some of the buildings his father built.