Googie Architecture: How a 1949 Hollywood Diner Named a Movement

Key facts

• Googie’s Coffee Shop opened in 1949 at 8100 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, next to Schwab’s Pharmacy.
• The restaurant was designed by architect John Lautner and featured an upswept roof, red steel decking, plate glass walls, and a large red triangle.
• The term “Googie architecture” was coined by critic Douglas Haskell in a February 1952 article in House and Home magazine.
• The style was popular from the 1950s to the 1970s and influenced roadside shops, gas stations, motels, and diners.
• Key features include upswept roofs, parabolic arches, starburst motifs, boomerang and flying saucer designs, neon lighting, and large lettering.
• Critics like Mary Mix Foley and William Bronson condemned the style as ugly and trashy in 1957 and 1968, respectively.
• Googie design was used in landmarks such as the Space Needle in Seattle and the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport.
• The Jetsons cartoon (1962–1963) and the Fallout video game series feature Googie-inspired aesthetics.