http://www.ultraswank.net Retro Living and Design from the 50s, 60s and 70s Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:56:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/are-we-ready-for-the-jetsons-yet/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/are-we-ready-for-the-jetsons-yet/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:52:13 +0000 Amy Thyr http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3242 What better epitomizes the visionary futuristic-utopia of the 20th century than the Jetsons? Created in 1962 the prime-time animated sitcom took place in 2062… looking 100 years into the future. Besides the futuristic gadgets and gizmos-surely ahead of their time-the architectural influence is clearly that of Googie design. Including “upswept roofs, curvaceous, geometric shapes, and [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/are-we-ready-for-the-jetsons-yet/feed/ 5 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/cruisin%e2%80%99-to-the-wich-stand/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/cruisin%e2%80%99-to-the-wich-stand/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:51:23 +0000 Amy Thyr http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2839 The origins of “Googie” design can be traced back to the actual coffee shop designed by architect John Lautner and by the works of his contemporaries. Appearing first in commercial buildings and used primarily in designing restaurants, coffee shops, motels, gas stations and bowling alleys, as well as schools, churches, shopping centers and airline terminals, [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/cruisin%e2%80%99-to-the-wich-stand/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:49:15 +0000 Amy Thyr http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2771 The recent exhibit of Deborah Aschheim’s drawings and architectural installations at Edward Cella A+A focused attention to the iconic modernist landmarks of Southern California that once represented the future. Aschheim’s works documented these structures, once the symbols of Southern California’s utopian dreams, which are now forlorn, crumbling commercial towers, buildings, and centers. Treated for the [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/design/the-world-of-googie/ http://www.ultraswank.net/design/the-world-of-googie/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 05:16:36 +0000 James Vaughan http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2325 It was with reluctance that I took on Ultra Swank’s assignment of a segment on Googie design. I am not an expert. Art historians and critics can be a vicious group. One false move and I could be forever condemned to an underworld of Louis the XIV basement rec. rooms accented with a million velvet [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/design/the-world-of-googie/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/travel/welcome-to-fabulous-los-angeles-jetport/ http://www.ultraswank.net/travel/welcome-to-fabulous-los-angeles-jetport/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:10:16 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=1343 This is Los Angeles International Airport (Jetport), it was built in the late 1950s and was at the time one of the biggest airports in America. They first envisioned it to be even bigger in the anticipation of the “jet age” with lots of terminals and buildings connected through a huge steel-and-glass dome building but [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/travel/welcome-to-fabulous-los-angeles-jetport/feed/ 9 http://www.ultraswank.net/event/hop-on-the-monorail-to-century-21/ http://www.ultraswank.net/event/hop-on-the-monorail-to-century-21/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:21:19 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=995 I wish there were more expositions like the one held in Seattle in 1962. Going under the name Century 21, it showcased the best, brightest and most future minded technology available at the time – including pagers, exciting cars that looked like they could fly, various satellites and the NASA Mercury project to name a [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/event/hop-on-the-monorail-to-century-21/feed/ 7 http://www.ultraswank.net/design/atomic-age-wallpaper/ http://www.ultraswank.net/design/atomic-age-wallpaper/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:04:52 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=934 Whether you are redecorating your living room, planing on buying a mid-century modern flavored house or want to make your kitchen look more groovy, Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpaper has what you need. Their series of Atomic Age and Mod Generation wallpaper range from 1950s styled Googie patterns to exotic tropical Tiki to the revolutionary [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/design/atomic-age-wallpaper/feed/ 8 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swedish-googie-architecture/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swedish-googie-architecture/#comments Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:37:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/swedish-googie-architecture/ I recently discovered a Swedish website that featured abandoned and disused places, buildings and what not. One of the locations was one of those old motel / restaurant / bar establishment thingies that was a common sight along the Swedish highways up to the 1980s. The interesting thing about this place is the design. It [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swedish-googie-architecture/feed/ 0