Miami Beach Unveils New Lifeguard Towers
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) -- City officials unveiled Miami Beach's new lifeguard towers.
The six new brightly colored towers are additions to the other 31 towers which lie between South Pointe and 87th Street.
"These are so iconic. Tourists love them. They take pictures with them while at the same time, they are protecting you. We're doing it with that in mind, keeping Art Deco and the Miami Beach brand which is our style or brand all over the world," Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales told CBS4's Marybel Rodriguez.
The towers were designed by architect William Lane who began working on the project after Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida.
"As you know Hurricane Andrew had pretty much wiped out much of the towers, and I was interested in creating some folly," said Lane. "I saw some opportunity to replace the stands and add another level of veneer to them; make them more playful."
Lane said he aimed to utilize free form fun shapes and deco/pop inspired colors to enhance the construction.
"This is lovely. I think they did a great job," said Miami Beach Lifeguard Dirk Winkler. "Everything is new. The chairs are better. The windows are better. I think it's great. It's a great tool for providing public safety."
The towers are made up of structurally sound components like impact windows and pressure treated wood.
"Heavy timbers, marine grade wood, stainless steel hurricane impact windows not intended to be out here during a hurricane but to protect them," said David Martinez, Director of C.I.P.
City officials said the future lifeguard towers in the city will be based on the updated designs of those unveiled on Tuesday. Cit officials hope to have all 29 of the old towers replaced within the next two years.
