Los Angeles - Googie and Mid Century architecture

CHIPS !!! … Worlds most UNDERRATED Googie Coffee Shop Diner !!! … in Hawthorne SoCal near LAX since 1957 !!! …

Known for its exaggerated, futuristic design, Googie architecture originated in Southern California during the 1940s and remained popular through the mid-1960s. Googie-style buildings were known for upswept roofs, geometric shapes, sharp angles, bright neon colors, and their unusual use of glass and steel. This modern, post-WWII style of architecture was heavily influenced by the Space Age, car culture, jets and the Atomic Age. It was named after John Lautner’s pioneer design of a West Hollywood coffee shop called Googies. Other coffee shops, along with motels, gas stations and fast food chains, quickly jumped on the bandwagon and continued the trend.

NORMS has its own history with this iconic style. NORMS’ La Cienega location, which is near Melrose, is a classic example of Googie architecture. Designed by Eldon Davis of Armet Davis Newlove Architects in Santa Monica, it opened its doors in 1957 during the peak of the Googie trend and won the National Restaurant Association’s design award at that time. Currently, it’s the oldest NORMS still operating today, and on May 20, 2015, the Los Angeles City Council voted to add it to the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. The Los Angeles Conservancy, Cultural Heritage Commission and Councilmember Paul Koretz were instrumental in helping NORMS’ La Cienega location achieve that status. A picture of the location can be seen here.

Another NORMS location that boasts the Googie style is Huntington Park on Slauson Avenue, which is near Pacific. As the second-oldest NORMS operating today, it features full-exhibition cooking where guests can enjoy a front-seat view to the making of NORMS’ notable eats. Two later NORMS locations — Figueroa and Sunset Boulevard — mimicked the Huntington Park location’s design, but both are now closed. The last NORMS restaurant built with the Googie design was on Long Beach Boulevard at PCH in Long Beach. While that location is no longer open, the building still stands but has since changed. Only a trained eye could recognize its Googie roots.

In 1991, NORMS opened its Whittier location near Colima, and the building was a nod to NORMS’ previous Googie-styled buildings. It was designed by the same firm as the La Cienega location, Armet Davis Newlove Architects, but Victor Newlove was the architect that brought back the flavor of those early days. Now, three other locations have been based on that design: Downey, Anaheim and South Torrance. Not all locations have the same design. Some locations resemble each other, depending on when they were built. However, in each restaurant, there’s the feeling of NORMS’ architectural roots from the La Cienega design.
A Penchant for a Pennant

NORMS’ sawtooth pennant sign is well-recognized in SoCal and continues the Googie style of the restaurants. Originally designed for the La Cienega location, Norm Roybark and Eldon Davis actually drew it on a napkin. The original sign was metal with neon letters, and its famous washing and flashing has come to signify great food and great service. Although 13 of 18 NORMS’ locations have a sawtooth pennant sign, only some of them wash and flash. The signs are usually out of compliance with planning departments throughout SoCal, but NORMS always petitions for a variance as more restaurants are built. The city of Torrance allowed a scaled-down version in 2000, and the city of Anaheim agreed to grant a variance after moving the restaurant within the city around 1995. NORMS’ Claremont location now boasts the first freeway pennant, towering 100 feet, and the Pico Rivera location, which opened in 2014, has the first digital pennant.

http://normsrestaurants.com/googie.html

Last week, the Los Angeles City Council designated the city’s oldest surviving restaurant of the Norms chain a historic and cultural monument. Built in 1957, the La Cienega Boulevard diner was designed by architects Louis Armet and Eldon Davis in the Googie style. The futuristic design movement originated in Southern California in the late ’40s and used bold curves and sharp angles to draw motorists to roadside businesses.

City officials heard public outcry when the building, noted for its elongated diamond façade and trademark sign, was slated for demolition. Preservationists fought swiftly for its protection on the grounds of architectural significance as well as human value—Norms, they argued, was a community mainstay.

In an event held earlier this year, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner disclosed that his acclaimed television show got its start at the restaurant, where he penned notes on its first episodes. “We should recognize its artistic value, its symbolism as a vision of Los Angeles,” said Weiner. “It is an inspiration and a treasure and should be treated as such.”

Any demolition at Norms now requires additional approval by the city council, and with such an outpouring of support from the community, that approval may be hard to get.

For more information on the preservation of Norms La Cienega, visit laconservancy.org.

Built in 1937, Algemac's Coffee Shop closed in 2006 and was gutted in 2008. Located on San Fernando Road at the corner of Glendale Avenue in Glendale California preservationists fought hard to save it. They weren't entirely successful but they reached a compromise with developers who agreed to incorporate the original Algemac's facade into the design of a new building. I worked there in the late 70s as a hostess.

Designed by Wayne McAllister in 1949, Bob's Big Boy Burbank (a favorite of Jay Leno, America's Former Late Night Leader) is often cited as of the earliest examples of Googie architecture in LA. Leno and his pals like to rev their classic cars in the parking lot every Friday night

THE STONE RESIDENCE 1964. DONALD G. PARK, AIA. From the street, you'll admire the timeless lines of this immaculate, mid-century trophy home originally built for Stanley Stone, (Stone Bros Furniture in Echo Park)

A perfect match between owner and architect occurred in the early 1960s. Albert Grossman, owner and Raphael S. Soriano, F.A.I.A., architect, demonstrate a shared a vision together. Perhaps I should have said, the two made for a match perfect for Aluminum Heaven... The Grossman House was the first of Soriano's experiments with all-aluminum houses. And sadly, it is the only All Aluminum Home, in pristine condition, of what remains built. Soriano's concept of the All Aluminum House used a pre-fabricated method of design where a factory would manufacture building materials, such as walls, roofing and other panels that could be trucked to site and assembled without a hassle.




The Grossman House was designed 1963-1964 for Albert and Simonne Grossman. The architect dubbed The Grossman House, "El Paradiso," for its space-age vision of the good life, Southern California style. In 1964, the Los Angeles Times remarked with a bit of tongue-in-cheek, "At last, a house for people who hate to paint." Renowned L.A. architect Soriano broke new ground with his decision to use aluminum and glass instead of the commonly used building materials, such as wood, plaster and stucco. The two gentlemen set off to create a one-of-a-kind design that certainly will never be duplicated. The Grossman House is a treasure; to design, to architecture and to our city.




In 1963, Soriano's promotion of his "All Aluminum Home" buildings attracted the attention of businessman Albert Grossman, "Mr. Aluminum", whose companies sold a number of aluminum products. Albert Grossman had met Soriano through his cousin Abe Grossman, inventor of the lightweight aluminum sliders marketed as Glide Panel View Windows.




Grossman and Soriano first intended to collaborate on a group of aluminum homes for Nicaragua's Gen. Somoza. When the Central American strongman was deposed and the project collapsed, they refocused on building a house. Fascinated by the idea that Grossman's aluminum products could be displayed in his own residence, Albert agreed to build a 3,200-square-foot, four bedroom house with a light aluminum frame in the Hollywood Hills of Studio City.




The entire frame of the one-story, flat-roofed building consisted of ten rigid aluminum frames spanning two 20-foot bays, spaced ten feet apart. Aluminum sliding-glass doors and shop-painted aluminum panels lined its perimeter. The aluminum used in El Paradiso is thick and has a superior factory finish to standard thin-sheet aluminum siding. Also, with its wash-and-wear resilience, El Paradiso has aged better than most of its Laurel Canyon plaster-and-stucco neighbors. When the earthquakes came, the sliding doors rattled and shook, but the house emerged with only a few hairline cracks in the terrazzo floors. Talk about sound engineering...




Inside walls were finished with Micarta, a plastic laminate. The color palette ranged from purple, gold, and yellow-green in the main living quarters to violet, coral, blue, white, and avocado in the bedrooms and bathrooms. The inch-thick plywood doors, the ubiquitous chocolate-brown refrigeration cork, the sleek Formica cabinets; all original. Ditto on the pre-finished aluminum ceiling, which has been washed every ten years. You'll never have the need to repaint the anodized aluminum. You have to be one who is content with the original colors. I know I could adapt.



The glass and aluminum of architect Soriano's "El Paradiso" reflect yesterday's vision of tomorrow. Again, as one of the Modernists who shaped the look of postwar Los Angeles, Soriano helped pioneer the use of metal and glass over wood and stucco in home construction. Like other materials whelped by the World War II technology boom, aluminum was seen as a progressive architectural force. European emigres like Soriano, Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra (Soriano's one-time employer) seized on aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass and other rugged newcomers for their structural experiments. The Grossman House's aluminum framework and 28 glass doors (all 5 by 8 feet) came complete from a factory, and the modern, functional appointments are of easy-care materials such as Formica, terrazzo and cork. Some have said the house was more of an assembly than a build due to the early pre-fabricated / factory-built approach to the design. Entirely prefabricated, "El Paradiso" was trucked in from a factory, section by section, and assembled in eight months at a cost of $125,000. Grossman supervised the construction from an on-site trailer.

http://modernhomesla.blogspot.fr/2016/04/raphael-sorianos-all-aluminum-home.html

Located in the Conejo Oaks area of Thousand Oaks is a 1958 custom mid-century modern ranch, designed by architect Cliff May. The three bedroom and two bathroom home has many original features to make this time-capsule-worthy. Within 1,863 interior square feet and located on a 16,200 square foot lot on a cul-de-sac street, this modern design features tons of natural light, while inviting the outdoors-in.



The original polished brick-flooring looks to be in good condition. Medical glass walls of glass provide solar gain while allowing privacy. Skylights above cast light upon the indoor garden below, which also has a water feature. The living room also features clerestory windows and a handsome stone fireplace hearth.

mid-century modern located at 1324 Casiano Road and built in 1959. The four bedroom and four bathroom with an open floor plan needs some updating, but the bones are great. It is definitely worth a look. The other home that strikes a chord is the newly restored 1960 mid-century modern located at 396 Kenter Avenue. The home feels fresh while maintaining mid-century modern aesthetic.


1743 Stone Canyon Rd, 90077 - Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A., 1960

Designed in 1947 by architect Richard Neutra, the Case Study House #20, Bailey House (located 219 Chatauqua) also accounted for a growing family. From the on-set, the family expressed their desire to grow as a family and that they would most likely outgrow the 2 bedroom home and would eventually expand as they earned more money. Consequently, Neutra worked on the additions throughout the home's early life.




The original construction of the residence and Neutra's additions utilized glass, steel and wood. The main house, with a simple rectangular plan, features walls of glass on the backside of the house so as to enjoy the pastoral gardens. This mid-century modern design is a simple, yet refined moment in Neutra's career. The home has seen a restoration by Marmol Radziner.




The covered walkway allows for the continued experience of nature and architecture to intersect. Perhaps Neutra's The Singleton House, 1959 took note of the Bailey House additions when contemplating the later addition of that home.




The Bailey House was Neutra's third design for editor, John Entenza's Arts and Architecture magazine Case Study House program. Neutra's 1945 design, Case Study House #6, "Omega" and his 1946 design, Case Study House #13, "Alpha", both were never realized and remain unbuilt. It wasn't until The Bailey House that Neutra was afforded opportunity to realize the principals of the program:



“...We of course assume that the shape and form of post war living is of primary importance to a great many Americans, and that...the house[s]... will be conceived within the spirit of our times, using as far as is practicable, many war-born techniques and materials best suited to the expression of man’s life in the modern world.” - Arts and Architecture




http://modernhomesla.blogspot.fr/2015/09/bailey-house-richard-neutras-case-study.html

Post war architecture was a time where the economy was booming and the Boomers needed homes. Due to the work load, there were several prominent developers that had all ready begun the planning of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley prior to the boom. Along with a vast amount of homes needing to be built, there comes the architect who works closely with the developer to bring a fresh point of view.





Here we have an example of the developer and architect working together to create 10 homes atop the hills of Encino down a private gated road. 4552 Martson Dr, Encino, CA was the premier model home for then developer, Stanley Arthur Martson (1925-2010). Martson had commissioned Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A. to design 10 different designs, including a two-story home down the street. At hand, is a beautiful example of the work by Fickett. This 1959 design welcomes you with open arms. The collaboration resulted in a lovely handful of homes. Martson had met Fickett through his father-in-law, Elwaine Steinkamp. Steinkamp was one of the most influential developers in Los Angeles history, if not the most influential in the area. Steinkamp has left his thumbprint on many areas across Los Angeles. Steinkamp and Fickett were close collaborators from the early days where the two met through church. At that time, both men were Christian Scientists. So, this is how the story goes. Martson was a self-made man. His personal story of his youth is quite sad. He learned early in life how to survive and be successful.




Upon walking through the high atrium entry with playful wooden screens designed by Fickett and a cut-out in the roof, you enter a world of beautiful natural light throughout the home's interior. The deep eave off the back provides shade for the seating area below and helps reduce the solar gain the home experiences. The post and beam mid-century design is drool worthy for any of us who appreciate unspoiled architectural gems.




The stylish home was once photographed for an issue of LIFE magazine by the legendary LIFE photographer, Ralph "Rudy" Crane. With beautiful fenestration by Fickett, as well as the usage of partial walls, the flow of the home is lovely and tasteful. The dining room shares the slump brick partial wall that also house the chimney with the living room expanse. A custom teak shelving unit by Cado was used in this home's design. Aggregate stone floors are throughout the home while providing cool flooring in the Summer months.




http://modernhomesla.blogspot.fr/2015/07/edward-h-fickett-model-for-martson1959.html

I really like this Eichler Home in the Fairhaven Tract in Orange. Built in 1960, this mid-century modern post and beam design has many original qualities to this design. 896 S. Woodland St, Orange, CA provides a generous 2,022 square feet of living space in this open plan home.Just take a look at those paneled walls in the dining area!



Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass and sliding doors which open to a large back yard, allow natural light to enter the home while the deep eave provides for shade in the back of the house. The four bedroom and 2 bathroom home is being offered for $840,000. If you are interested in this home and would like more information, please contact modern homes los angeles for assistance. I really like this home as it is in very very good condition with many original original details. If I had to choose between the recently listed Fairhaven Eichler Home at 3810 E. Fernwood with the grotto, I'd certainly chose this one. I think the photos say it all.








http://modernhomesla.blogspot.fr/2015/07/stylish-and-swanky-fairhaven-tract.html

(1962)- LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR

Designed in 1959 by Jacob Tracht, A.I.A is this Mid Century marvel, "Starview." An exceptional architecturally significant 5-bed, 4-bath home, it has a panoramic view of the city and ocean. The unique property is the perfect restoration project and it's 0.39 acres of flat land makes the perfect scenario of house, pool on the same level.

Classic Mid-Century Showpiece in the heart of El Segundo's built 1953

"The dingbat typifies Los Angeles apartment building architecture at its worst," California historian Leonard Pitto once declared. But the simple, boxy apartment buildings have become as beloved as they are loathed, and are as common as palm trees and parking garages to the Los Angeles landscape.

Dingbats took over during the development-driven era of the 1950s, many replacing craftsman bungalows and single-family Victorian homes—they offered inexpensive rents and living spaces.


This icon of Los Angeles architecture emerged during the city's postwar expansion period, and "enabled the sprawl for which LA is infamous while simultaneously creating a consistency of urban density achieved by few other cities," according to the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, which is releasing a book on the buildings following a successful Kickstarter campaign. This won't be the first book to give ink to the temples of residential kitsch, there's another called Pretty Vacant: The Los Angeles Dingbat Observed. (And one person has even started documenting the remaining dingbats on Instagram.)



Structurally, they are "half parking structure, half dumb box," and not exactly the most stable in an area that gets a fair amount of earthquakes, as it turns out. They do have at least one native attribute, though, they highlight LA's car culture—"Like the strip mall, the dingbat capitalized on Angelenos’ romance with the automobile," noted Architizer's Lamar Anderson, "The format is essentially an inhabitable parking structure."

Dingbats were not named so until the 1970s, decades after the first was built—"the first textual reference to the term 'dingbat' was made by Reyner Banham in Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies (1971). He credits the coining to architect Francis Ventre," who described them as exhibiting "the basic characteristics of primitive modern architecture. Round the back, away from the public gaze, they display simple rectangular forms and flush smooth surfaces, skinny steel columns and simple boxed balconies, and extensive overhangs to shelter four or five cars." There are variations on this set-up, but most dingbats are designed as Ventre described.


Sure, they're cheaply constructed glorified garages with thin walls... but they have an undeniable retro charm, and the way their names are spelled out in specialized fonts on the front facade adds a bit of personality, becoming their most defining feature. "Like starlets striving to be noticed, many announce their names in whimsical midcentury script," Anderson pointed out. "Their signature embellishment is usually a star, diamond, or other geometric flourish." They are cookie cutters with a little bit of flair.

phpHVPEwHPM.jpg In the 1990s, they created a depressing backdrop in Slums of Beverly Hills—screenwriter Tamara Jenkins once noted, "Those dingbats are so poignant. So beautiful and heartbreaking. Little temporary homes for the underclass like tenements with fanciful aspirational names extravagantly drawn on the front like hotels. They break my heart, those buildings." This was spoken more concisely through character Vivian Abramowitz (played by Natasha Lyonne), who declared in the movie that dingbats were "two-story apartment buildings featuring cheap rent and fancy names that promise the good life, but never deliver." The movie was set in the mid-1970s, when the con was up and the carpeting was worn in.

Last year, Joshua Stein dug into the dingbats as seen through the movie, noting they seem "oddly appropriate for millennial Los Angeles. More than a simple retro aesthetic, this patina of the passé that coats all surfaces of Slums seems an all-too-accurate depiction of a large portion of the present housing stock of Los Angeles."

Currently, dingbats that have been better kept up, or renovated, are about on par with regular apartment rents—here's one in Santa Monica for $1950/mo, and another in West L.A. for $1850 (both 1 bedrooms). Some neighborhoods have more than others, but you can find them just about everywhere, from Santa Monica to Los Feliz—for now, at least. Dingbats are slowly vanishing, being "demolished by the dozen to make way for multi-story complexes with underground parking," Mark Frauenfelder noted in 1999. Well, they aren't all keepers, but maybe some of them are worth keeping.