In Miami, Lifeguards Abide in Style

They're tagged with whimsical names like "Boomerang Putting Green," "Man-o'-War," and "Purple Fuselage."

They are among the most intriguing pieces of beachfront architecture in Art Deco Miami Beach, and certainly among the smallest. They are eight lifeguard stations that stretch over nine blocks of beach lining the commercial part of Ocean Drive.

The stations are among more than 20 structures rebuilt three years ago to replace the ones that hurricane Andrew destroyed. But the stations between Sixth and Eighth Streets are not the generic, weathered shacks of yore. To local architect William Lane, who designed them for free, they tell the world about Miami Beach.

"They're a response to the kind of energy that's here in Miami," Mr. Lane says. The pastel structures blend 1920s Art Deco with 1960s pop-culture themes. The stations now star in postcards.