Today Lincoln Road still feels like a work in progress. Herzog & De Meuron's bold 11 11 Building serves as a graphic gateway to the west. While the structure is hard-edged and futuristic, the designers took cues from Morris Lapidus' 1960s site plan so their edgy addition seems to spring forward from the Mall's history rather than fighting against it. Perhaps the secret to Lincoln Road Mall's enduring success is the melding of the best elements of the past with the innovations of the future.

At the same time the Swiss firm developed this multi-use parking, retail and residential project, Architect Allan Schulman revamped the former Saks Fifth Avenue department store into Forever 21 and the Art Deco Lincoln Theater into a flagship shop for Hennes & Mauritz (H&M). Known for his painstaking research and deft handling of landmark Miami buildings, Shulman & Associates carefully blend the elements of architectural significance with the demands of modern retail design.

An important part of Miami Beach's rich history, Lincoln Road Mall is the source of millions of dollars in annual commercial transactions. Home to shops, galleries, restaurants and nightclubs, the pedestrian-friendly strip serves as a social barometer for the entire city of Miami Beach. If the crowds of shoppers, sounds of construction projects and volumes of traffic at local parking garages is any indication, the future of South Beach looks bright.