Florida Buildings I Love: No. 119: Aliki Forum, 1981, Daytona Beach

Harold Bubil
·2 min read
The Aliki Forum condominium in Daytona Beach.
The Aliki Forum condominium in Daytona Beach.

Condominiums are not the most beloved of Florida’s architectural forms, but some of them have such perfect geometry that they stand out.

It doesn’t hurt the 23-story Aliki Forum that it soars by itself on the oceanfront just south of Ormond Beach. So passers-by can appreciate its purity of line without being distracted by nearby structures.

The building, which has been restored, is too young to have been considered for historical designation.

And, little is known about its architect, a Greek-American named Anargyros “Andy” Xepapas, whose office was in Daytona Beach at the time his architecture license expired in 2003. He received his bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1957 from the Catholic University of America and was given an Alumni Achievement Award 20 years later.

Several condos in the area, including the Aliki Atrium and Aliki Tower, are named for Aliki Xepapas, wife of “developer Andy Xepapas,” according to a 2001 blog entry by realty broker Jon Zolsky on the Active Rain real estate website. An obituary for Andy Xepapas was published in 2005; Aliki died in 2015. They were prominent members of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona.

Parking is beneath the structure, which has a base that is slightly elevated above the sandy landscape and sits on concrete posts.
Parking is beneath the structure, which has a base that is slightly elevated above the sandy landscape and sits on concrete posts.

Back to architecture: Parking is beneath the structure, which has a base that is slightly elevated above the sandy landscape and sits on concrete posts. Most floors have two units, although some units have two levels. The ceilings are not high, but that lends to the pristine geometry of the building.

Each floor has a wrap-around terrace with views of the Halifax River to the west, and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The beach is wide and the views are dramatic.

Units are about 2,400 square feet, and rarely for sale.

During a visit to Sarasota in the 1990s, the noted architect Paul Rudolph looked up at the high-rise condo Bay Plaza and remarked to its designer, Tim Seibert, FAIA, “That is about as good as you can do with one of those things.”

I think the same could be said about the Aliki Forum.

“Florida Buildings I Love” is Harold Bubil’s homage to the Sunshine State’s built environment. This article originally ran on April 20, 2019.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Buildings I Love, Harold Bubil: No. 119: Aliki Forum, 1981, Daytona Beach