The Rebirth of Cool:  The Morris Lapidus Collection
Known as a designer of excess, his autobiography is appropriately titled "Too Much Is Never Enough" and some of his most notable works include the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels in post-war Miami. Lapidus was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1902 and his family immigrated to New York City when Lapidus was a baby. He began his career as a retail store designer, creating dramatic and upscale shopping experiences. His ability to develop memorable, opulent interiors that were an accessible and up-scale experience, translated well in the design of hotels.

To quote Lapidus; "My whole success is I've always been designing for people, first because I wanted to sell them merchandise. Then when I got into hotels, I had to rethink, what am I selling now? You're selling a good time."
"Too Much is Never Enough"
 Island Sofa: Acrylic-arm sofa from Morris Lapidus’ famous Miami Beach apartment (1963)
Famously loved, critiqued, and ridiculed over the course of his career, Lapidus was finally repositioned in the discourse of modern architecture toward the end of his life. And in 2000, Lapidus received a National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. "It took more than 20 years for Morris Lapidus to begin to be accepted in the world of design yet his impression on it and the architectural landscape of Miami has been indelible. Half a decade later, we are thrilled not only to bring his furniture to life, but to make his iconic style accessible to those seeking Lapidus' personal style of 'firmness, fitness, and delight,' said Miller.
Originally designed specifically for hotels or particular projects, the five piece collection will feature two works of furniture designed for south Florida hotels, the Eden Roc and the Sans Souci, a sofa created especially for Lapidus' own Miami Beach apartment, and two pieces used in an apartment building lobby by Fred Trump in New Jersey.


Ocean Bench: Curving two-piece "S"-shaped bench from a Fred Trump Apartment Building lobby, New Jersey (1948) – curves used later in the DiLido lobby (now the Ritz Carlton) Collins Chair: U-curved armchair with wood legs and deep, firm seating from the lobby of Morris Lapidus’ renowned Eden Roc hotel, Miami Beach (1955)
Lapidus’ signature forms – termed derisively by critics and then positively appropriated by Lapidus himself – amoeba-like shapes or "woggles", cutouts or "cheese holes", and sweeping curves, are derived from his fascination with the human form. Endeavoring to understand the human body and its relation to the built environment, Lapidus studied "people not geometry" to develop a style that would "please people." His furniture designs provide an intimate experience of the Lapidus Logic.
Lincoln Chair: Square-ish wood-framed upholstered open-backed lounge chair from Morris Lapidus’ first Miami Beach hotel, the Sans Souci (1949) Alton Chair: Round armless barrel chair with a "butterfly" back used as a side chair to the "S"-bench in a Fred Trump apartment building lobby, New Jersey (1948)