Comments on: Googie: Architecture of the Space Age

By: GNF

GNF — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:13:48 +0000

St Malachy’s Church in Burlington, Massachusetts is one of the finest examples of Institutional Googie on the East Coast. It was built in 1963, at the height of the style, although a little bit out of place in a smallish New England town. It’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

By: Pete R

Pete R — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:31:12 +0000

I’m sorry I wasn’t aware of this blog when this was first posted.

Here in Miami, this style is called “MiMo,” for “Miami Modern,” and also focuses on the futuristic aspects. I think we’re missing out if we don’t also look at the interest in primitive architecture and culture that was popular at the time, like Tiki.

Like Gary mentioned, Tiki is closely related to Googie. Googie portrayed, in a delightfully cheesy way, the whole arc of civilization, from its noble beginnings to its destiny in the stars.

I think this is wonderfully brought together in the Disney World Contemporary hotel, where the monorails pass by a huge central mosaic of Disney’s take on Native American culture. I’m sure that was very deliberately included (like everything else in Disney) to represent the archetype of the style.

By: Mark Osborn

Mark Osborn — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:38:54 +0000

Sadly, the “Googie” Tomorrowland at Disneyland has been mostly replaced by the “Jules Verne” steam punk version, although some vestiges of Googie remain, if you look closely enough.

By: Matt McIrvin

Matt McIrvin — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:59:12 +0000

You know, to my eyes, that Googies coffee shop actually looks like something beyond Googie, as it developed: it looks more like late-1980s po-mo.

Which, by the time its era rolled around, was trying not so much to be futuristic as just whimsical, with some nostalgic and ironic elements.

By: Gary James

Gary James — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:08:52 +0000

The Gobbler wasn’t directly Googie, but generally a later MCM.

A cousin of Googie is Tiki.

By: RS

RS — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:37:31 +0000

America lost its way and its future in the 1970′s.

It has yet to find its path back to believing in or in many progressive/green circles, even desiring, a future which is more prosperous than the present.

By: Fogkate

Fogkate — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:40:36 +0000

Re: McDonald’s original architecture
“Mansford roof” = “mansard roof” no?

By: Matt Nardella

Matt Nardella — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:50:04 +0000

Also a convert to the googie style from my time in Southern CA. Funny that the LAX photo is your headline for Googie. I just completed a piece of furniture based on it. http://moss-design.com/2012/06/01/lax-task-desk/

By: Matthew Bamberg

Matthew Bamberg — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 04:23:19 +0000

Great article! I’ve written quite a bit about Googie architecture because I live in a city that preservationists call a mid-century modern Disneyland (Palm Springs).

My favorite Google building in the city is now a liquor store. It’s definitely space age. A picture of it as well as my take on Googie architecture is at http://www.palmspringsdailyphoto.com/2007/11/palm-springs-googie-architecture.html

By: smallerdemon

smallerdemon — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 18:44:35 +0000

You can’t talk Googie without talking Gobbler: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gobbler

James Lileks has the absolute best site on The Gobbler: http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/