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The ABCs (and more) of Googie:
Amoebas, Boomerangs, and
(Parabolic) Curves

The visual vocabulary of Googie was predominantly defined
by the dynamic and energetic shapes that were reflective of
the new age. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik
and the space race between the United States and the
U.S.S.R. became deeply embedded in the American psyche.
Predominant shapes of this time were those inspired by
the national aspirations of space exploration and scientific
achievement. Examples included atomic models, amoe-
bas, boomerangs, parabolic curves, dingbats, ellipses and
starbursts. All of these shapes were evocative of the new
national consciousness and were present in architecture,
signage, furniture designs, textiles, dinnerware patterns,
and lighting.

The Theme Building at the Los Angeles International
Airport is one of the most iconic Googie structures in
Southern California and one of the most extreme uses of the
space theme. The restaurant, which opened in 1961, was
designed by Luckman & Pereira architect, Paul Williams,
to look like a flying saucer. The original restaurant in the
space, Host International, was a conservative, upscale
restaurant that rotated for optimal viewing of the bustling
LAX aircraft traffic. However, when the structure was
designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark
in 1992 and underwent a much needed renovation in
1997, the designers at Walt Disney Imagineering designed
the interiors using Googie elements popular during the
1960s. The new restaurant, aptly named Encounter, was a
“gesamtkunstwerk”—a comprehensive work of art—where

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