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A national treasure of uplifting architecture. In saving it, South Miami Beach not only transformed itself but also inspired a national movement to preserve historic structures.

Facing each other across lush, manicured gardens, these two structures are the heart of George Merrick’s contribution to “The City Beautiful” (see Biltmore Hotel & Congregational Church).

Inspired by the famous belfry (formerly, under the Moors, a minaret for a mosque) of Seville’s vast Cathedral. A museum is located in the lobby.

A George Merrick fantasy, with references to Spanish-Moorish architecture, in this case nodding to the Alhambra in the Iberian mountain town of Granada.

This Renaissance-Revival beauty is a don’t-miss landmark in Downtown Miami, and it evokes all the glamour of the 1920s’ boom era.

I. M. Pei’s striking take on the ziggurat theme so often used in Art Deco, looking for all the world like a stepped stack of CDs in various sizes. It’s especially appealing at night when it’s lit up with vibrant colors.

Built by Arquitectonica in 1982 and soon thereafter one of the stars of Miami Vice , this “building with the hole in it” is in danger of being overrun by the rampant construction going on all along Brickell. The “hole” is an ingenious 37-ft (11-m) cube cut out of the building’s center, at the 12th floor. A red spiral staircase and a palm tree draw your attention to it in a delightful way.

Also by Arquitectonica, this playful building takes the frivolity of Deco several steps further. A free-form green-wave tower slices through a cool blue cube, at once evoking both sea and sky, while colorful dancing flotsam seem to inhabit the green wave. The roof is an oasis, with sprouting trees.

This beautiful Mission-style edifice was built in 1916, though its massive door did come from a 17th-century monastery in the Pyrenees.

Key West has the largest collection of 19thcentury structures in the US. About 4,000 buildings, mostly houses, embody the distinctive local style. Many architectural features take their cues from elements used on ships, such as roof hatches to allow air circulation. One unique innovation is the “eyebrow” house, with secondfloor windows hidden under a front porch roof overhang, providing shade in the unremitting heat.