CASA HOTELS - Historical Building Renovations
The Casa Sofi Apartment-Hotel has been recognized by the City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board as a historic property, contributing to the historical significance of the Ocean Beach Historic District as well as the larger Miami Beach community through its architectural design, location, setting, and workmanship. It is significant as one of the first apartment-styled houses constructed during the early years of the development and popularity of the Ocean Beach area.
The original Casa Sofi was one of the first apartment buildings constructed in the Ocean Beach Historic District and remains as one of the only buildings therein that has successfully preserved the integrity, feeling, and cultural significance of the District as a whole. Casa Sofi’s simple and scaled-down architecture reflects the attitude of the Ocean Beach Historic District at the time it was designed in 1925 by the award-winning architect, Mr. William Francis Brown, juxtaposed to the more lavish architecture of some of the first hotels and apartment complexes built along the ocean front, combining characteristics of both the Mediterranean Revival Style of the 1910s to 1930s as well as the Art Deco Style of the 1920s to 1940s.
The Casa Sofi Apartment-Hotel was renovated, as approved by the City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board and in accordance with its guidelines, in 2018, with the aim of addressing structural problems, preserving its historical value, and reinforcing modern aesthetic. In 2021, the historic property was recognized with an Excellence in Construction Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors.
Original Architect:
William F. Brown (1886-1952) was one of the pioneer architects in Miami Beach. A native of London, England, Brown had previously been a seaman and had traveled around the world. His father had built the first railroad in Australia. Brown came to Miami Beach around 1922 and was employed by Carl Fisher.4 He designed Fisher’s Boulevard Hotel, the Miami Beach Dog Track, the “Million- Dollar” Pier at Biscayne Street, and the Biscayne-Collins Hotel, which have all now been demolished.
