There are three main architectural variations of Art Deco buildings, each with its own distinctive characteristics. They are: Zigzag, or Jazz Moderne; WPA, or Classical Moderne; and Streamline Moderne. This is the earliest style of Art Deco architecture.

The characteristic features of Art Deco reflect admiration for the modernity of the machine and for the inherent design qualities of machine-made objects—e.g., relative simplicity, planarity, symmetry, and unvaried repetition of elements.

Art Deco design exemplified opulent consumption, crass commercialism, and the acceleration of contemporary life summed up in the Futurist credo "Speed is beauty." Art Deco's greatest achievement, however, came in its mature phase, when designers liberated the machine from long-standing artistic contempt.

Art Deco style revels in its Industrial Revolution roots through oversized furnishings made of metal featuring pointed edges, arched tops, mirrored finishes and jagged corners. Miami Beach has perfected the Art Deco style through bold geometry, symmetry, rich colors and glamorous details.