Miami Beach Lifeguard Towers

Hurricane Andrew wiped out Miami Beach’s lifeguard towers in 1992, and the city did what any self-respecting seaside resort would do: hired architect William Lane to replace them with something that made absolutely no apologies for existing. Lane designed five towers in 1995 that became instant symbols of South Beach’s 1990s revitalization, then came back two decades later to roll out thirty-six more.

He likens them to the Moai figures on Easter Island, which feels audacious until you realize he’s right: they’re “anthropomorphic” sentinels that form a “unique formation of characters” staring down the Atlantic. Each one pulls from Art Deco curlicues, mid-century eyebrow ledges, and whatever Lane felt like that morning. They’re called things like Curl, Wave, Cap, Crown. Rooflines that swoosh and spike in fluorescent pinks, purples, lime greens. Unlike military watchtowers, they host lifeguards who protect and serve, and at the extreme, save lives.