Architecture & Heritage · July 2026
The Courtyards of Via Mizner
Addison Mizner envisioned Palm Beach as an open-air Mediterranean dream. Inside the vias that still hold his shadow.
By Palm Beach Authority Editorial
When Addison Mizner laid out the courtyards and vias of Palm Beach in the 1920s, he was not simply designing shopping arcades — he was imagining a coastal sanctuary built around shade, fountains, and human proportion.
Via Mizner, the most celebrated of these passages, still captures that original feeling. Sunlight enters in measured slants across pecky cypress beams and handcrafted Mexican tile. The bougainvillea climbs limestone pillars that look centuries older than they are.
We walked the via with the preservationists and family merchants who care for it today, exploring the quiet details that continue to inspire architects worldwide.
