What is Googie? The Showroom is influenced by a style of road-side architecture often referred to as "Googie". By any name, the style is recognizable by it's futuristic "look of tomorrow" inspired by Space Age and Atomic Age forms and themes. The following text, reprinted with permission, is from Eugene Modernism 1935-1965 by the City of Eugene: "The term Googie Architecture was first used in 1952 and takes its name from Googie's Coffee Shop (1949) designed by John Lautner, in Los Angeles. The style developed in Southern California in the 1950's and early 1960's and spread rapidly throughout the nation. It was primarily used in commercial settings and was intended to suit the needs of automobile culture, dreams of the Space Age, and a fascination with the primitive." In the decade following World War II many Americans gained a renewed sense of optimism about the future. People's imaginations were filled with the wonders that science was revealing such as atomic energy and the potential for space travel. In the architectural community, these concepts translated (through the use of new construction techniques) into soaring concrete, steel, and glass structures that almost appear to defy gravity. Legislation in the mid 1950's directed creation of the Interstate Highway System. Reliable, modern roadways were recognized as being important to national security. As these major arterials were constructed, developers also built commercial and retail infrastructure at the roadside. This explains why many Googie structures appear along major transportation corridors. The style is dramatic and seeks to attract the attention of motorists passing by. The upswept, "flying saucer style roof", the dealership's former sign, and the star-shaped foundation pad of the now-demolished used car sales building are expressions of Googie influence. To learn more about Googie architecture, please visit Wikipedia's Googie webpage.

	Googie in Eugene/Springfield: - Sheppard Motors showroom (see left) - former Deb's Restaurant on Franklin Boulevard across from the University or Oregon - Denny's restaurant on Glenwood Drive along Interstate 5. The Denny's restaurant is believed to have been designed by Armet & Davis and is noted for its appearance in the "diner scene" in the 1970 Jack Nicholson movie Five Easy Pieces.
	Googie in Oregon: - Witham Truck Stop along Interstate 5 in Medford, OR (see left). - Denny's Restaurant at 939 East Burnside in Portland, OR.
	Googie in the Pacific Northwest: - Seattle's Space Needle built in conjunction with the 1962 World's Fair. (see left).
	Googie elsewhere: - Theme Building (1960) at Los Angeles International Airport. (see left).
	The world's most recognized form of Googie is probably the Welcome to Las Vegas sign Las Vegas, NV
	Googie in Popular Culture: The cartoon series, The Jetsons (1962-1963) utilized Googie designs to depict a futuristic life of convenience through technology. Design motifs include: swooping and curving angles (typically in roof-lines), spires, fins, walls of glass, spheres, starbursts, rockets, and biomorphic forms (such as boomerang, amoebae, and tulip shapes). The James Bond movies filmed in the 1960's often featured Googie elements. The architecture of some locations and sets served as fantastic and exotic bachelor pads as well as remote and impenetrable super-villain hideouts. The striking and obvious use of steel, concrete, and glass often conveyed themes of Mankind's presumed dominance over Nature (and perhaps one another?) through the application of high technology. The film Diamonds are Forever (1971) featured the Elrod House which was built in 1968 and designed by John Lautner. You Only Live Twice (1967) also arguably contain examples of Googie's influence upon American popular culture. More recently, the Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black II (2002) movies as well as the animated film The Incredibles (2004) have revived this style as a means of depicting a fantastic/futuristic, yet familiar, setting or backdrop.
	Satellite Center sign Anaheim, CA (demolished)
	La Concha Motel Las Vegas, NV 1961 (moved and preserved 2007)
	AMF Christown Lanes Phoenix, AZ 1975
	Johnie's Broiler restaurant Los Angeles, CA 1958 (demolished 2007)