Neon was always a part of the original design in Miami Beach Art Deco architecture. Back then (1930s and 40s) there were only 5 colors available. Each color was achieved by putting different gas inside the tube. The very first color to ever be lit up was red-orange, and the gas inside happened to be Neon, so they just called it all neon. However, in the 1970s when Miami Beach turned into cheap, boring, and uncool retirement community, it was known as "where neon goes to die". Anyway, thanks to invention of neon lights, we have indirect lighting today.
The Colony (1935) was one of the earliest Art Deco buildings erected during the the re-building that revived Miami Beach after the tragic hurricane in September 1926 destroyed 80% of the city. The facade is emblematic of the Art Deco style - simple and symmetrical, with bold geometric elements like the inverted "T" that bears the hotel's name and the horizontal eyebrows that hang over the windows.
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