Modern Monument: The Miami Marine Stadium's Past, Present And Future

The Miami Marine Stadium in its current state. Graffiti overwhelms the building's 1963 Miami Modernist architecture.  (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Here the Miami Marine Stadium sits on the coast before Hurricane Andrew deemed the venue unsafe. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Designed in 1963, the Miami Marine Stadium was strongly influenced by previous modernist Latin America architecture. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Hilario Candela's Miami Marine Stadium is located in Virginia Key, just outside of downtown Miami. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The expressive cantilevered roof is a hallmark of the architecture's Modernist movement in 1960s Europe and Latin America. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Inside the stadium glittering pillars upheld the now forlorn structure.  (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Guests would peer over the bay onto the floating stage during the stadium's heyday. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Miami Marine Stadium was capable of holding over 6000 guests. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The stadium's roof has been described as "origami-swanlike" and is considered a serious at risk icon. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The stadium was once home to a number cultural and political events, from powerboat races and Jimmy Buffett concerts to President Richard Nixon and Sammy Davis Jr. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

In 2008 the Miami Marine Stadium was granted historical designation, preventing it from future demolition.  (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

In 2010 the World Monuments Fund named the Miami Marine Stadium on their watch list of monuments threatened by neglect or overdevelopment. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Hilario Candela was the first Cuban exile to design and build in Miami.    (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Miami Marine Stadium overlooks the water where boats and fans would cluster to watch performances. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Thousands of people would flock to the Miami Marine Stadium to watch powerboat races. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Miami Marine Stadium was the first venue in the United States to be purposefully built for powerboat races. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation also put the stadium on its "most endangered" list in 2009. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium are looking to raise $30 million in private funds to restore the stadium back to its original stature.  (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Restoring the building will not be easy after Hurricane Andrew tore through Florida's coast in 1992. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Miami Marine Stadium has hosted bands such as Queen, Air Supply, The Beach Boys, and Boston Pops. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Graffiti lines the steps inside the stadium. Its long exposure to the environment may make it more difficult to restore. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Covered in vandalized walls, the Miami Marine Stadium estimates, but is ultimately unclear, as to how much restoration costs will eventually add up. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Today the stadium sits empty near downtown Miami's endless skyscrapers. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

In the future the Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium hope to restore the modernist architecture to its former icon as an entertainment center. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Expanding the addition to the grounds and parking lot, the Miami Marine Stadium has been granted a $3 million worth of funds from Miami-Dade County. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Singer Gloria Estefan recently donated half a million dollars toward the Miami Marine Stadium's restoration fund. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Looking forward, the Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium want to return the venue back to the Hispanic community for public access. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The Miami Marine Stadium looks to host the city's concerts and events once again. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

In 1985 Jimmy Buffet played an enormous concert at the Miami Marine Stadium. He was the first celebrity to later endorse the stadium's restoration to his fans. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

The building's restoration was significantly held back due to how hard Miami was hit in the recent recession. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

In 1967 the Elvis Presley movie "Clambake" was filmed at the Miami Marine Stadium. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Dedicated as the Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium on December 23, 1963. Stadium was built at a cost of $1 million; basin was dredged for approximately $900,000. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Friends of Miami Marine Stadium was created as an all-volunteer organization in February 2008 to advocate for restoration of the Marine Stadium, under the Dade Heritage Trust. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)

Unlike any other building, the Miami Marine Stadium hopes to foster Miami's Latino community for many generations to come. (Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium)