The former Miami headquarters of Bacardi is a masterpiece of tropical architecture, and holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The main event is a beautifully decorated jewel-box-like building built in 1973 that seems to hover over the ground from a central pillar supporting the entire structure. The building currently serves as the headquarters of the nonprofit YoungArts, which offers one-hour tours of the complex and also manages an onsite art gallery. Register for tours online.
One-inch thick pieces of hammered glass cover the exterior in a wild Mesoamerican-style pattern modeled after a mosaic designed by German artist Johannes M Dietz. Also on site is the older 1963 building, a tower covered with blue-and-white handmade tiles – some 28,000 in fact – in a striking ceramic pattern designed by Brazilian artist Francisco Brennand.
