1503 - Pocket Door Installation, Kitchen Cabinets, and Rough Plumbing
September 27-October 3, 2004 | March 28-April 3, 2005
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HI. I'M BOB VILA.
WELCOME HOME AGAIN
TO OUR PROJECT HERE,
OUR LITTLE GETAWAY APARTMENT
IN SUNNY MIAMI BEACH.
WE'RE WORKING UP ON
THE 12th STORY, AND WE'VE
MADE SOME PROGRESS.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE
PUTTING IN NEW STEEL STUD
WALLS AND PARTITIONS,
ALSO LOOKING AT
REWORKING THE PLUMBING
FOR THE NEW BATHROOM,
AND WE'RE TAKING A STROLL DOWN
FABLED LINCOLN ROAD MALL
WITH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
ALLAN SHULMAN.
STICK AROUND--IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY
SEARS
OK, WE'RE IN A SERIOUS
CONSTRUCTION SITE MODE.
WE'VE DEMOLISHED
EVERYTHING THAT WAS HERE.
IF YOU WERE WITH US LAST
WEEK, YOU SAW THIS KITCHEN
THAT WAS IN HERE:
WALLPAPERED IN YELLOW AND GREEN,
AND DARK CABINETS ALL AROUND IT,
AND OF COURSE A WALL
THAT JUST ISOLATED IT.
SO EVERYTHING IS OPEN PLAN NOW,
AND THE BIG THING THAT THEY'VE
ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR, BESIDES
THE DEMOLITION,
IS TO GET UP TO THE CEILING,
WHICH HAD...
A TRADITIONAL POPCORN TEXTURE,
THAT SPRAYED-ON TEXTURE
WHICH IS VERY POPULAR IN
CONDOMINIUMS ALL OVER THE PLACE;
THEY'VE ROUGHED IT OFF,
SCRAPED IT, SANDED IT,
AND THEY'VE PUT
A SKIM COAT OVER IT,
AND THERE'LL BE
ONE MORE COAT ON IT,
SO THAT WE END UP
WITH A NICE, VERY SMOOTH
CEILING THROUGHOUT.
BUT WE'VE GOT OTHER
PROBLEMS TO TALK ABOUT,
AND WE'VE GOT DAVID SOUTHARD,
OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR, WITH US,
AND THIS WAS IN WORSE SHAPE
THAN WE EXPECTED--
THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT.
YEAH, THERE WAS QUITE
A BIT OF RUSTING
AND SOME PROBLEMS
WITH THE VALVES.
YEAH. SO, WE'VE DECIDED
THAT THE IDEAL THING TO DO
IS TO REPLACE IT,
AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE WERE
GONNA SEE IT REMOVED TODAY
AND THE NEW ONE PUT IN PLACE,
BUT THERE'S SOME COMPLICATIONS
WITH THE BUILDING PLUMBING,
RIGHT?
YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY,
FOR THE CONTRACTOR
TO BE ABLE
TO REPLACE THE VALVES
FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING
UNIT,
HE HAS TO SHUT OFF
THE PLUMBING
TO THE BUILDING,
AND THE BUILDING HAS
SOME PLUMBING ISSUE--
SOME ISSUES WITH THEIR
PLUMBING AS WELL,
IN THEIR VALVES.
SO UNTIL THEY GET THOSE
FIXED, HE WON'T BE ABLE
TO PULL OUT THE OLD A.C.
AND PUT IN THE NEW ONE.
OK. WELL, WE'RE ON
THE 12th STORY.
WE DON'T WANT WATER
LEAKING ON ALL THOSE OTHER
APARTMENTS DOWN THERE.
OK, WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THE BATHROOM REMODELING?
IN HERE, WE'VE GOT
THE PLUMBER WORKING IN HERE.
THIS IS CARLOS LEUCHTMANN
FROM BLUE RIDGE PLUMBING.
GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?
PLEASURE.
SO, WE ALREADY HAVE
A SHOWER PAN IN PLACE.
YEAH, WE DID THAT
LAST WEEK.
TYPICAL INSTALLATION
DOWN HERE IN FLORIDA.
WHAT IS THIS
ORANGE MATERIAL?
IT'S JUST VINYL.
IT'S LIKE A POOL LINER,
BASICALLY,
AND IT'S...VERY STURDY.
YEAH.
THE ONLY THING THAT...
SUNLIGHT'S THE ONLY
THING THAT CORRODES IT
OR DESTROYS IT.
WELL, YOU WON'T GET MUCH
OF THAT BACK IN HERE.
BUT YOU'VE LAID IT OVER
REGULAR 15-POUND FELT?
YES.
AND SO, THAT'S
RIGHT ONTO THE SLAB.
RIGHT ONTO THE SLAB.
AND WHAT'S THIS,
JUST STUDS?
JUST P.T. 2 x 4s
WE PUT DOWN FOR
OUR CURVE.
PRESSURE TREATED WOOD;
AND THEN WE'LL BE GOING
OVER THE WHOLE THING
WITH...WELL, EVENTUALLY
WITH HARDIE BOARD
AND CERAMIC AND GLASS,
AND ALL SORTS OF NICE THINGS.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR DRAIN?
DID YOU HAVE TO--
THE DRAIN WE HAD TO
ALTER A LITTLE BIT,
'CAUSE THERE WAS
A TUB HERE,
AND IN A HIGH-RISE,
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO CHOP TOO MUCH--
STEEL,
STRUCTURAL STUFF--
SO WE JUST MOVED
AS MUCH AS WE COULD.
THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT
CENTERED--
IT'S NOT POSSIBLE
IN A HIGH-RISE.
SO YOU JUST GET
WHATEVER YOU CAN GET,
AND THEN THE TILE GUY
WILL SLOPE IT
ACCORDINGLY.
HE'LL SLOPE IT RIGHT
AND PITCH IT RIGHT.
SO, YOU'RE ROUGHING IN FOR
OUR MOEN SHOWER VALVE, I SEE.
YES.
AND, UM...
I THINK THAT WHAT
THE ARCHITECT SPEC'D
WAS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF
THE ORDINARY, RIGHT?
YES, THIS PARTICULAR
STYLE, MOEN--
IT HAS A TEMPERATURE
REGULATOR,
AND THEN IT HAS AN OPTION
DIAL ON THE TOP,
AND YOU CAN TURN
TO THE SHOWER--
IN THIS CASE, WE'RE
GONNA HAVE AN OVERHEAD
RAIN HEAD SHOWER--
AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO
THE BODY SPRAYS IF YOU
TURN IT THE OTHER WAY.
THERE'S LIKE TWO KNOBS
ON IT, SO YOU CAN GET
ONE OR THE OTHER,
WHATEVER YOU LIKE.
SO YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS:
EITHER WATER COMING OFF HERE,
OR 4 BODY SPRAYS
OFF THE WALL.
YES.
IS THIS AN UNUSUAL...
NOT PARTICULARLY. EACH--
THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT.
IT'S PRETTY TYPICAL
STUFF:
IT HAS ITS OWN
SHUT-OFFS.
THIS IS YOUR
TEMPERATURE REGULATOR.
IT'S AN ANTI-SCALD
THING THAT THEY
HAVE DOWN HERE.
AND THEN THIS IS
YOUR DIVERTER
THAT YOU CAN TURN
ONE WAY FOR THE OVERHEAD
OR THE OTHER WAY
FOR THE BODY SPRAYS.
OK, SO YOU GUYS ARE
READY TO START PUTTING
SOME PIPES TOGETHER.
WE'LL JUST WATCH.
OK.
PRETTY MUCH JUST
DOING BACKING NOW,
GETTING SO
EVERYTHING'S STURDY.
THIS IS A STUD POPPER,
AND A LOT OF
ELECTRICIANS USE THESE,
BUT PLUMBERS DO, TOO,
AND IT MAKES
A PERFECT HOLE.
SO SHOW HIM THAT,
BRANDON--
THE PIPE TIGHTS,
THEY'RE CALLED.
THEY HOLD THE PIPE,
IF THEY FIT THE STUD
POPPER PERFECTLY,
AND THEY'RE A WAY
TO STRAP,
AND THEY'RE CALLED
PIPE TIGHTS,
THAT'S ALL.
AND YOU JUST PUNCH
A HOLE THERE?
YEAH, IT POPS RIGHT
IN THERE PERFECTLY.
YOU GOT HALF, 3/4,
1 INCH, WHATEVER
YOU'RE RUNNING.
AND IT HOLDS IT, AND IT
MAKES IT NICE TO WORK.
IT HOLDS EVERYTHING.
AND THEN WE JUST
POP A HOLE IN HERE.
IT'S REAL EASY.
POPS A NICE HOLE.
BRANDON, HAND ME ONE
OF THEM PIPE TIGHTS.
WE'LL SHOW HIM.
THEN YOU JUST TAKE
THESE--THEY POP
RIGHT IN THERE.
THEY GOT A LITTLE
PLASTIC, SO IT
DOESN'T POP OUT,
THEN THE PIPE JUST GOES
RIGHT THROUGH THERE.
AN IMPORTANT PART IS,
IT KEEPS IT FROM
TOUCHING THE METAL--
YOU KNOW, TWO DIFFERENT
METALS TOUCHING.
SO IT ISOLATES IT,
PROTECTS IT, STRAPS IT.
IT WORKS GOOD.
ALL RIGHT, SO ARE YOU READY
TO CUT PIPES AND SOLDER?
START CUTTING PIPES,
PUT SOME WOOD UP,
BRACKETS,
ALL THAT STUFF.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GET
OUT OF YOUR WAY.
NOW WE CUT A PIECE OF
PIPE, CLEAN IT UP
BEFORE YOU SOLDER IT.
THAT'S THE PASTE,
OR ACID FLUX.
WE PASTE THE FITTING,
PASTE THE PIPE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT'S AN ACID FLUX,
AND BASICALLY
IT'S A CATALYST.
IT MAKES THE SOLDER STICK.
WITHOUT IT, IT WON'T STICK.
Vila: OK, ALL RIGHT,
SO THESE ARE
THE 4 LOCATIONS
FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
SPRAYS, RIGHT?
YES, THESE ARE
THE 4 BODY SPRAYS
THAT SHOOT, YOU KNOW,
AT YOUR BODY,
AND WE'RE TRYING TO
MAKE THEM PERFECTLY LEVEL
AND PERFECTLY CENTERED
SO WHEN THE FINISHED
PRODUCT COMES OUT,
THE TRIM IS EQUAL SPACED,
LEVEL, AND ALL THAT.
AND THIS WALL STILL
HAS TO BE FRAMED
OUT TO HERE.
YES, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
IT'S NOT DONE YET.
OK, THANK YOU, CARLOS.
OK.
WHEN WE COME BACK,
WE'LL BE FRAMING OUT A WALL
FOR THE POCKET DOORS--
STICK AROUND.
[BANG]
Vila: ALL RIGHT!
WE'RE OFF TO A GREAT START.
THIS IS
THE STEEL PLATE
FOR PART OF
THE PARTITIONING
HERE,
AND WE'VE GOT
GILSON WITH US.
NOW, WHAT IS IT
YOU'RE SHOOTING
THERE?
THE BULLET, AND THE NAIL.
IT GOES RIGHT INTO
THE CONCRETE.
SURE.
AND WE LOAD THAT IN THE GUN,
AND SHOOTS RIGHT IN THERE,
AND HOLDS THE TRACK.
ALL RIGHT,
YOU GOT ONE MORE
TO GO THERE?
YES.
IT'S A LOT EASIER
THAN TAKING
A MASONRY NAIL
OR A SCREW
AND ALL THAT,
BUT IT STILL
INVOLVES A LITTLE
LICENSE,
AND, OF COURSE,
EYE PROTECTION
IS A GOOD IDEA.
OK?
YEP.
[BANG]
ALL RIGHT. WHAT
WE'RE DOING HERE,
THOUGH,
IS BASICALLY
CREATING THIS
DIVISION
BETWEEN
THE LIVING ROOM AND
THE DINING ROOM--
I MEAN, THE BEDROOM.
WHAT WAS HERE WAS
A SINGLE DOOR,
AND NOW WE'RE
GONNA PUT IN TWO
POCKET DOORS,
WHICH WILL CREATE...
WHAT, A 5-FOOT
OPENING, RIGHT?
YEAH, 5 FEET.
ALL RIGHT,
AND OUR STEEL STUDS
WILL BE...
PUT IN PLACE
JUST TEMPORARILY.
HE'S CUT IT JUST
TO THE RIGHT LENGTH
SO IT HOLDS,
SO THAT
HE CAN BRING IN
THE SECTIONS OF...
THE POCKET DOOR
PREFAB.
AND YOU CAN
PICK THIS UP
AT ANY HARDWARE--
I MEAN,
ANY LUMBER YARD.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE
TO ORDER IT,
'CAUSE THEY
DON'T NECESSARILY
STOCK THEM.
RIGHT.
IS THAT WHERE IT GOES?
IS THAT THE POSITION?
YEP.
OK.
AND SO NOW WE'RE
ATTACHING WOOD TO METAL.
GOOD.
BUT THIS BASICALLY
WILL BE THE NAILER
FOR THE WALLBOARD,
RIGHT?
YES, EXACTLY.
DRYWALL WILL GO
RIGHT UP ON THAT.
NOW YOU'RE GONNA PUT
LITTLE SCREWS THAT HOLD
THE TWO METALS TOGETHER.
RIGHT.
PUT ONE ON
THE BOTTOM FOR ME, PLEASE.
THE ADVANTAGE
OF THE METAL STUDS
IS THAT
YOU COULD DO ALL
SORTS OF DIFFERENT
THINGS WITH THEM.
YOU'RE CUTTING
NOTCHES HERE, RIGHT?
RIGHT.
SHOW ME HOW YOU'RE
CUTTING THEM.
THE NOTCHES JUST WILL GO--
THE CABLE GO THROUGH IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE RUNNING
A LENGTH OF TV CABLE
ACROSS THE TOP
OF OUR FRAMEWORK.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
OK, AND THEN
YOU PUT THAT...
UNTIL THAT GOES
RIGHT UP THERE.
AND ESSENTIALLY...
WE'VE PRETTY MUCH
GOT IT.
AND THAT'S ALL THERE NOW.
YEAH.
WELL, THAT'S GOOD, GILSON.
SO THE BIG ADVANTAGE
OF BUYING A PREFAB
FRAME LIKE THIS
IS THAT YOUR POCKET DOORS
WILL GO RIGHT IN THERE,
RIGHT IN HERE,
AND YOU DON'T HAVE
TO DOUBLE UP THE WALL
AS IF YOU WERE
STARTING FROM SCRATCH;
IT'S REALLY STILL ONE
THIN, SINGLE SURFACE.
WHICH IS A NORMAL
SIZE OF A WALL.
THE NORMAL SIZE OF A WALL.
NICE JOB. THANK YOU.
NEXT, WE'LL TALK WITH
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
ALLAN SHULMAN
ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE LINCOLN ROAD MALL.
NEXT TIME ON BOB VILA'S
"HOME AGAIN,"
DEMOLITION IS COMPLETE
AT OUR HIGH-RISE
CONDOMINIUM PROJECT
IN MIAMI BEACH.
WE'LL GET STARTED BUILDING
NEW STEEL STUD WALLS
WITH PREFABRICATED FRAMING
FOR POCKET DOORS.
ALSO, THE PLUMBER IS BUSY DOING
THE ROUGH WORK FOR A NEW SHOWER.
AND WE'LL TAKE AN ARCHITECTURAL
TOUR OF THE LINCOLN ROAD MALL,
AND TALK ABOUT THE HISTORIC
DEVELOPMENT OF MIAMI BEACH.
DON'T MISS IT. THAT'S NEXT TIME
ON "HOME AGAIN."
NEXT TIME ON BOB VILA'S
"HOME AGAIN,"
WE'RE TAKING AN ARCHITECTURAL
TOUR OF THE LINCOLN ROAD MALL
IN SUNNY MIAMI BEACH.
DON'T MISS IT.
WE'RE IN THE HEART OF
MIAMI BEACH--LINCOLN ROAD--
AND ALLAN SHULMAN,
A LOCAL ARCHITECT
AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN,
IS GONNA TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF THIS STREET,
AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN
THE MAIN SHOPPING STREET, RIGHT?
YEAH, SINCE THE CITY WAS
DEVELOPED, AROUND 1915,
THIS WAS PLANNED AS
SORT OF A MAIN STREET
FOR MIAMI BEACH.
THE DEVELOPER OF THIS
AREA, CARL FISHER,
REALLY WANTED THIS TO BECOME
NOT JUST A MAIN STREET,
BUT A GRAND THOROUGHFARE,
SOMETHING ON THE ORDER
OF FIFTH AVENUE IN NEW YORK,
WITH GREAT, ELEGANT STORES.
SO IT WAS PLANNED
TO BE VERY, VERY WIDE.
YES, IT WAS PLANNED,
ACTUALLY, TO EQUAL
IN WIDTH
THE RUE DE LA PAIX,
IN PARIS.
OK.
YOU CAN BELIEVE
THAT OR NOT.
DOES THAT TRANSLATE TO
ABOUT 100 FEET, OR WHAT?
100 FEET, YEAH.
AND MIAMI HAS
WIDE STREETS,
GENERALLY SPEAKING,
BUT SOMEHOW IT MAKES FOR
A VERY GOOD COMMERCIAL
BOULEVARD.
IT'S A VERY
COMFORTABLE STREET.
NOW, TELL US ABOUT SOME OF
THE BUILDINGS THAT WENT UP.
I KNOW THAT'S THE TALLEST
BUILDING ON LINCOLN ROAD
RIGHT BEHIND US.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY
DESIGNED AND BUILT,
OR BUILT BY CARL FISHER
HIMSELF,
AS THE HEADQUARTERS OF
HIS OWN REAL ESTATE
OFFICES,
OR REAL ESTATE
ENTERPRISE,
AND IT'S BUILT IN A WAY
TO BE A LANDMARK
FOR THE ROAD.
IT WAS THE TALLEST
STRUCTURE BUILT
ON LINCOLN ROAD.
AND BUILT IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN STYLE.
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
STYLE IN THE 1920s,
WITH ALL THE GREAT
FEATURES OF
THE MEDITERRANEAN,
IN PARTICULAR THAT
GREAT WRAPAROUND TERRACE
ON THE ROOF
AND THE MEDITERRANEAN-
TILED ROOF AT THE TOP
LEVEL, ON THE PENTHOUSE.
AND IT'S NOW THE VAN DYKE'S
CAFE AND HOTEL, RIGHT?
EXACTLY.
ORIGINALLY, HIS OFFICES
WERE ON ALL THE FLOORS,
AND ON THE GROUND FLOOR,
THEY WOULD WELCOME
VISITORS.
ON THE TOP FLOOR, YOU
WOULD BE ABLE TO GO UP
AND LOOK AT THE PROPERTY
YOU WERE ABOUT TO BUY
THROUGH A TELESCOPE
AND SEE THE CITY
DEVELOPING RIGHT
IN FRONT OF YOU.
WHAT A GREAT STORY.
NOW, WHAT ABOUT A BUILDING
LIKE THIS ONE
THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
ON THE LEFT HERE--
THE STERLING BUILDING?
RIGHT, THE STERLING
BUILDING IS AN EXAMPLE
OF THE KIND OF GROWTH
AND CHANGE THAT HAPPENS
IN MIAMI BEACH.
IT WAS FIRST BUILT
IN THE 1920s.
IN WHAT STYLE?
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
STYLE.
IT WAS TWO SEPARATE
BUILDINGS,
COVERED WITH MOORISH
DETAILING, REALLY,
AND THEN,
LIKE MANY BUILDINGS
IN MIAMI BEACH
AROUND 1940, '39-'40,
THEY DECIDED TO RENOVATE
IT AND TO MODERNIZE IT.
AND WHEN THEY DID,
THE ART DECO STYLE,
THE STREAMLINE MODERNE,
WAS REALLY THE POPULAR
STYLE AT THE TIME,
AND SO THE BUILDING
WAS DONE
ACCORDING TO ALL THOSE--
ACCORDING TO THAT STYLE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU LOOK AT
SOME OF THESE DETAILS
LIKE THE FRIEZE ON THE TOP,
AND THE MASONRY WORK,
AS WELL AS THE GLASS BLOCK
AND THE LIKE.
EXACTLY. IF YOU LOOK AT
THIS BUILDING, YOU CAN
SEE, FOR INSTANCE,
THAT IT HAS A KEYSTONE,
A QUARRY KEYSTONE BASE,
WHICH IS A NATIVE STONE
THAT'S FILLED, COLORED,
AND TREATED.
IT'S A KIND OF
A MARBLEIZATION
THAT IS USED
REALLY VERY TYPICALLY
IN MIAMI BEACH,
BUT YOU DON'T SEE IT
ELSEWHERE.
YOU HAVE BIG
PLATE-GLASS WINDOWS--
AND CURVES.
AND CURVES, YEAH.
THERE WERE A LOT OF
STREAMLINE CURVES.
THAT WAS THE STREAMLINE.
IT WAS REALLY THE END
OF THE 1930s,
WHEN ART DECO WAS FADING
AND STREAMLINING WAS
COMING IN,
AND SO THE BUILDINGS
WERE VERY AERODYNAMIC,
OR AQUADYNAMIC.
NOW, ONE OF THE MOST
EXCITING OFFICE BUILDINGS
THAT WAS BUILT
ANYWHERE ON THE BEACH
IS RIGHT DOWN AT THE OTHER END
OF THE ROAD, RIGHT?
EXACTLY. THAT'S ALSO
A BUILDING FROM
THE END OF THE 1930s.
IT'S THE 420
LINCOLN ROAD BUILDING.
IT'S A KIND OF
A MODERN CLASSICAL
OFFICE BUILDING
THAT TAKES LINCOLN ROAD
TO A DIFFERENT SCALE
AND DIMENSION.
IT'S ABOUT 7 STORIES
TALL, IT'S COVERED IN
QUARRY KEYSTONE,
AND IT FEATURES SOME
REALLY GREAT MURALS
ON THE INSIDE
WHICH TELL THE STORY
OF THE PROGRESS
OF HUMANITY.
YEAH. NOW, MANY OF THE STORES
THAT WERE DEVELOPED HERE,
LIKE MOSELEY'S,
THE LINEN SHOP THAT'S BEEN
THERE FOR OVER 70 YEARS,
WERE ONE-OF-A-KIND,
SMALLER, DELUXE STORES;
BUT YOU ALSO HAD THE FIRST
DEPARTMENT STORES HERE, RIGHT?--
THE BURDINE'S CHAIN.
EXACTLY. BECAUSE
MIAMI BEACH, AND BECAUSE
LINCOLN ROAD,
WAS AN ELEGANT
DESTINATION
IN THE 1920s,
THE BIG RETAILERS
AND THE FURRIERS
WANTED TO BE HERE.
SO, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
WAS IN ONE OF THE PRIME
LOCATIONS,
RIGHT AT THE CENTER
OF THE ROAD,
IN A BUILDING
THAT STILL EXISTS;
AND THEN ACROSS--OR
ACTUALLY ONE BLOCK DOWN
WAS BONWIT TELLER,
A PRETTY LARGE
GARMENT TRADE HOUSE.
AND THERE WERE A NUMBER
OF OTHER VERY ELEGANT
CLOTHING AND JEWELRY
AND FUR STORES
THAT LINED BOTH SIDES
OF LINCOLN ROAD.
RIGHT. AND WHAT
ABOUT THEATERS?
THERE WERE
SEVERAL THEATERS
ON LINCOLN ROAD--
I'M THINKING
MAYBE 5 OR 6.
THERE WAS THE COLONY,
THE LINCOLN CENTER.
THE LINCOLN CENTER WAS
ONE OF THE BEST OF THEM.
IT WAS DONE AS
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
A LOCAL ARCHITECT
AND A NATIONAL THEATER
ARCHITECT.
IT'S NOW THE HOME OF
THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.
BUT IT HAS SOME
OF THE BEST FRIEZES,
ART DECO FRIEZES,
ON ITS FACADE,
WITH SORT OF FLORID
SCROLLWORK
AND A REALLY BEAUTIFUL
MARQUEE THAT PROJECTS
OUT OVER THE ROAD.
ALLAN, TELL US ABOUT
THE ALBION HOTEL.
THE ALBION HOTEL
WAS PROBABLY
THE GRANDEST HOTEL
BUILT IN MIAMI BEACH
IN THE 1930s,
AND IT WAS BUILT
RIGHT ON LINCOLN ROAD.
AND BECAUSE IT'S
ON LINCOLN ROAD,
IT MIXES RETAIL
AND HOTEL AND OFFICES.
IT'S A REALLY
SOPHISTICATED BUILDING
JUST IN THE WAY
IT'S PLANNED,
AND IT'S PLANNED AROUND
A COURTYARD PATIO,
WHICH IS VERY BEAUTIFUL,
AND FEATURES
THESE PORTHOLES THAT
LOOK INTO THE--
INTO THE UNDERWATER
PORTION OF
A SWIMMING POOL
WHICH IS ON ONE OF
THE MEZZANINE DECKS
THAT GOES AROUND IT.
BUT I THINK WHAT'S
REALLY FABULOUS
ABOUT THE ALBION
IS THE LOBBY,
THE TWO-STORY LOBBY,
WITH THE MAHOGANY WINDOW
WALLS AT EITHER END--
SORT OF AN EARLY EXAMPLE
OF A CURTAIN WALL,
BUT DONE IN WOOD.
NOW, THE NEXT BIG
TRANSFORMATION ON LINCOLN ROAD
TAKES PLACE AROUND
1960-'61, RIGHT?
RIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
WELL, MORRIS LAPIDUS
HAD JUST COMPLETED
THE FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL,
WHICH WAS ONE OF
THE GREAT, MODERN,
LARGE HOTELS,
GRANDIOSE HOTELS OF
UPPER MIAMI BEACH.
THAT HAD ITS OWN
SHOPPING CONCOURSE,
AND IT DREW A LOT OF
CUSTOMERS AND A LOT OF
ENERGY OFF THE ROAD.
SUBSEQUENTLY,
LINCOLN ROAD DECLINED,
AND SO THE CITY AND
THE PROPERTY OWNERS HERE
WENT TO MORRIS LAPIDUS,
THE DESIGNER OF
THE FONTAINEBLEAU,
AND ALSO A RETAIL GENIUS
IN HIS OWN SORT,
AND ASKED HIM
WHAT COULD BE DONE,
WHAT PLAN COULD BE MADE
TO REVITALIZE THE ROAD.
LAPIDUS CAME UP
WITH THE IDEA
OF MALLING THE ROAD...
TAKING THE CARS OFF THE ROAD,
AND JUST MAKING IT ALL
A PEDESTRIAN MALL.
EXACTLY.
AND LAPIDUS' WAY
OF MALLING THE ROAD
WAS TO TRANSFORM IT
INTO A KIND OF A GARDEN
FOR THE CITY,
SO HE NOT ONLY
TOOK THE CARS OFF,
BUT CREATED ALL THESE
WONDERFUL PLANTING BEDS
AND FOUNTAINS--
WE'RE LOOKING AT A PRIME
EXAMPLE OF IT RIGHT HERE,
WITH THIS LONG RECTANGULAR POOL,
AND THE SPLASHING WATER,
AND THE BIRDS ALL OVER
THE PLACE,
AND NOW THE PLANTING'S
QUITE MATURE.
EXACTLY,
AND THE PLANTING WAS
ALL VERY EXOTIC.
THE IDEA WAS TO, IN
EFFECT, BRING TO MIAMI
SOME EXOTIC SPECIES FROM
ALL AROUND THE WORLD,
AND TO PLAY UP
THE TROPICALITY
AND THE TROPICAL
CHARACTER OF THE CITY.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE
LENGTH OF THE ROAD,
YOU FIND OTHER FEATURES
LIKE THIS,
DESIGNED BY LAPIDUS
IN THE FORM OF SHELTERS,
AND AGAIN, CONCRETE
FORMS THAT RELY
ON MANY OF THESE
STRANGE FREEFORMS
THAT HE CAME UP WITH.
THEY WERE SORT OF
LYRICAL ARCHITECTURE
THAT I THINK HE BORROWED
FROM SOUTH AMERICAN
ARCHITECTS OF
THE PERIOD,
AND HE USED THEM
AS PAVILIONS
THAT COULD BE USED TO
SELL MERCHANDISE,
TO DISPLAY MERCHANDISE,
AND ALSO FOR EXHIBITIONS
AND FOR FASHION SHOOTS,
SO IT WAS ALL
VERY PRAGMATIC.
HE MADE IT TOTALLY EXCITING.
ALLAN, THANKS FOR COMING ON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'LL BE BACK AT OUR MIAMI BEACH
REMODELING SITE IN A MOMENT
WITH MORE ROUGH PLUMBING.
Vila: AND WE'RE BACK
IN THE BATHROOM AREA
FOR JUST A SECOND.
LET ME JUST SHOW YOU
WHAT BRANDON'S DOING HERE
WITH THIS DRILL:
HE'S GOT HIS BRUSH ON THE DRILL,
AND WITH...WITH THAT OPERATION,
HE'S GETTING THE INSIDE
OF THE PIPE READY,
AND THEN WHILE IT TURNS,
HE'S GETTING THE OUTSIDE
OF IT DONE, TOO.
NIFTY. GOOD TRICK.
AND OUR MAN CARLOS
IS FINISHING UP...
THE PIPING FOR
THE OVERHEAD SHOWER,
WHICH WILL COME OUT
OF THE CEILING.
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
THANK YOU, CARLOS.
WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
COME HOME AGAIN NEXT WEEK,
WHEN WE'LL BE SPENDING
A LOT OF TIME ON THE KITCHEN
CABINET INSTALLATION
AND GROUTING BEAUTIFUL
GLASS TILE IN THE BATHROOM.
TILL THEN, I'M BOB VILA. IT'S
GOOD TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
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