One Sunburst, Three Cities

Art Deco sunburst and radiating motifs appear across global architectural traditions, where shared geometric expressions are adapted to distinct materials, climates, and local building cultures.

• Paris, France: The 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes gave Art Deco its name and global spotlight^[1]. While Paris established the international vocabulary of bold geometry, symmetry, and radiating decorative flair^[2], the motif celebrated modernity and an unequivocal break from the past^[3].
• Mumbai, India: Mumbai is home to one of the world's largest collections of Art Deco buildings, constructed during a 1930s building boom^[4]. At the Eros Cinema, among other local landmarks, architects integrated sunburst rays and geometric patterns into reinforced concrete structures^[5][6]. As a tropical port city, Mumbai adapted these motifs by combining sunbursts, sea waves, and nautical elements with climate-responsive features such as cantilevered window shades (chajjas) and projecting balconies that welcomed sea breezes^[7][8].
• Miami Beach, United States: Designed by Henry Hohauser, the Colony Hotel (1935) on Ocean Drive features a symmetrical facade paired with a distinctive T-shaped neon sunburst and radiating marquee lighting^[9][10]. Facing a coastal Florida climate and rebuilding after the 1926 hurricane, Miami architects developed "Tropical Deco"^[11][12]. This style modified classic radiating geometry with pastel stucco surfaces, nautical portholes, and functional eyebrow sunshades designed to deflect tropical glare and keep interiors cool^[13][14].