Lifeguard Stands to the Rescue

The conference in Miami Beach had been a huge success. But preparing for months on end for a three-day event leaves its wearisome tracks on one’s soul. A short walk on the beach to soak in the afternoon sun and Pow! The shock of color and whimsy of the Miami Beach Lifeguard Stands perked up my carcass-like body and flooded my field of vision with joy.

These lifeguard shacks, thirty-six total, line the eight-mile beach from South Beach to North Beach Park. The1992 Hurricane Andrew wiped out the previous utilitarian lifeguard stands. So architect William Lane offered his services to design a handful of new stands to perk up the storm damaged strip of beach. In 2006 another round of lifeguard stands were designed and built, all in the colorful and playful style that reflects the Art Deco motif of Miami Beach.

These huts must be functional to allow lifeguards the ability to monitor the safety of swimmers and spot the lurking dangers like a hungry shark or rip currents.  Aside from that serious role, these structures are meant to delight and intrigue visitors and residents alike.

That’s it. That’s what they do. No complicated history or political theory or analysis of societal ills. No fear for what tomorrow holds. For just a moment, for a short pause, just joy. That’s what I need right now.