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Introducing the Googie architectural style
The most recent addition to the style menu is Googie architecture. The name sounds invented and is sometimes confused with a search engine, but the style is real and has been around for about 60 years, long enough to be taken seriously as a historical style worthy of preservation.
SKYDB Definitions defines Googie as a "futuristic or ultramodern" style dating from about 1950 to 1970, whose "jaunty forms and bold streamlining evoked a highly optimistic aspiration to an imagined future of advanced technology." Characteristic features include "projecting fins, extravagant swooping lines, machine-like shapes, wide ledges, bubble shapes, and very large plate glass windows." Examples are often found along highways and in growing mid-century suburbs of the Western Hemisphere.
Not every Googie building looks as startling as the style's most famous landmarks, such as the Theme Building at Los Angeles Airport or the Capitol Records Building. Defined more broadly, the style also covers fairly ordinary shops and houses with a slight Jet Age flair.
The Googie style is often associated with the Space Age and the Jetsons cartoon series, or alternatively with roadside motels, diners, fast-food restaurants, and flamboyant advertising signs with moving lights and rocket-like shapes. It fell out of favor in the late 20th century, but the distance of history puts it in a more respectable position today. It represents a time when architecture expressed an optimism about the future that is largely absent from the present age.
By cataloging and photographing more Googie architecture, SKYDB supports preservation efforts, educates users about an architectural style with strong visual identity, and helps cities to discover and promote their architectural heritage.