I grew up in the land of Publix, back when they had those bold V-arrow signs at the entrance, practically daring you to ride past the door.
South Beach Miami still has one of those glorious sites, but most of the rest of the Publix where I grew up have been dulled into submission, their googie accents homogenized and muted to oblivion.
So I was particularly delighted to spot this Safeway in Portland. Not like a publix, of course, but this Safeway is pure googie: streamlined swoops and plate-glass, a building set to fly.
I borrowed my daughter's camera, one not notable for its night-time shooting capabilities, and snapped a few shots.
(Photographs by Andrew Wood)
2 comments:
This is actually a classic example of what is referred to as the "Safeway Marina" design style. Named after the rather famous Safeway in San Francisco's Marina district where it was first introduced. At one time in the late 60's and 70's, there were dozens if not hundreds of Safeways across the country that sported this exact same design. It became so iconic for Safeway that they have preserved the exteriors of many locations even as they have totally gutted/remodeled the interiors in the last few years. You can find out more about this design style here: http://www.groceteria.com/safeway/1960.html
Wow is that helpful! Thanks for the post - and for the link!
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