Googie is an ultramodern style from a golden age of futuristic design. Featuring interesting shapes, dramatic angles and an optimism for the future of the world.....
The "Googies" coffee shop was designed John Lautner in 1949 and this is where the name for this theme comes from. Features of the Googie style would include unusual curved shapes and the use of large sheets of glass. Striking and bold rooflines would also be frequently seen. This was an era dominated by thoughts of space travel and this found it's way into the design of many buildings.
As with the 1930s Art Deco style, sadly Googie architecture became far less valued and many buildings have since been destroyed. Good examples do remain though and can be seen at Disney's Tomorrowland, Lautner's Chemosphere, the TWA Flight Center and in numerous coffee shops, diners and motels that do still stand across the USA.
This style can also be seen in some of the James Bond films from around the same period and one of my favorites is "Elrod House" which was also designed by John Lautner. The house's best-known feature is the large circular concrete canopy above the main living area featuring circular glass panels. The living room incorporates large rocks that are original to the site and it opens out onto to an outdoor swimming pool and a terrace. The house featured in the 1971 James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever".
I've long been a fan of this style and have been waiting for an opportunity to incorporate it into the design of our products. Our new range of watches now takes influence from this era and we're planning to add to the range later in the year.
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The property in the banner image is Chemosphere House.
Thanks to CDernbach (Own work)
[CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
