Googie Architecture Saved as Chick-fil-A
A mid-century Googie-style building designed by Helen Liu Fong has been painstakingly restored and repurposed as a Chick-fil-A, serving as a model of successful historic preservation that balanced commercial viability with architectural heritage. The project demonstrates how preservationist coalitions can save beloved modernist structures through adaptive reuse.
- The building, located in Los Angeles' Sherman Oaks neighborhood, was originally a coffee shop that operated for decades as Corky's before closing in 2020. It was designed by the firm Armet & Davis, who were masters of the Googie architectural style. - Helen Liu Fong, a Chinese American architect, oversaw the interior design of the original coffee shop and was a key figure at Armet & Davis, though her contributions were long under-acknowledged. She was known for her meticulous attention to detail, designing everything from the furniture and lighting to employee uniforms and menus. - The restoration for Chick-fil-A was a near-forensic reconstruction of the original 1958 design, using archival blueprints to inform the process. Handwritten notes on the plans, such as "Make sure Helen signs off on this," highlighted Fong's central role in the building's identity. - The building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2020, which was pivotal in its preservation. This designation protected it from demolition and encouraged its adaptive reuse. - Googie architecture, born out of post-WWII American optimism and car culture, is characterized by upswept roofs, bold geometric shapes, and the use of materials like glass, steel, and neon. The style was meant to be eye-catching to attract motorists from the road. - Many iconic Googie buildings have been demolished over the years as the style fell out of favor, dismissed by some critics as kitsch. Preservationists now recognize Googie as a significant cultural and architectural artifact of the mid-20th century. - Other famous Googie-style buildings designed by Helen Liu Fong and her firm include Norms Restaurants, Pann's Coffee Shop, and the Holiday Bowl bowling alley. Pann's is considered one of the best-preserved examples of the style. - The project to convert the former coffee shop into a Chick-fil-A involved using real neon instead of LEDs and focusing on a high-quality restoration rather than a quick replacement, demonstrating a corporate commitment to architectural preservation.
