Los Angeles’ roadside architecture is famous the world over but even modern iterations have roots in the ‘Googie’ style of the 1950s and 60s. Defined by space-age motifs, sloping roofs and sky-high neon signs, Googie architecture responded to a time of great change in America.
After World War II, people from all over the US flocked west, prompting a boom period in California. LA’s freeway system, which connects much of the city, was near completion and a new type of mid-century architecture emerged: one that represented the 'futuristic' advancements of the time, inspired by the space race and rise of car culture, Googie borrowed the visual language of rockets, satellites and atomic orbits, turning the era’s fascination with scientific progress (and science fiction) into architecture. Crucially, Googie buildings needed to be visible from the road, alerting drivers to restaurants, entertainment complexes and pit-stops en route.
The first example of Googie architecture was a John Lautner-designed café of the same name. Googie’s coffee shop, formerly at 8100 Sunset Blvd (sadly demolished in 1988), was a frequent hang-out for the likes of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe – likely due to its proximity to famed Sunset Strip hotel, Chateau Marmont.
In a 1952 issue of House + Home magazine, the writer Doug Haskell described Googie’s coffee shop as starting 'off on the level like any other building. But suddenly it breaks for the sky. The bright red roof of cellular steel decking suddenly tilts upward as if swung on a hinge, and the whole building goes up with it like a rocket ramp.' He likened the work of Googie architects to that of Antoni Gaudí, creating fantastical buildings that would influence generations to come.
The Googie style symbolised a newfound freedom, both in its design and use of materials, blending glass and steel with plastic and cement. To purists, the Googie style was seen as a blight on LA’s great modernist legacy established by Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright and more. But others embraced its inventive and distinctly modern and colourful aesthetic.
Googie’s influence was far-reaching. Across pop culture, TV shows such as The Jetsons (1962) drew on the same space-age optimism, from its angular typography to vivid colour palette. Throughout the rapidly expanding landscape of postwar America, Googie hallmarks started appearing in motels, bowling alleys, petrol stations and drive-in restaurants, as well as the fantastical architecture of theme parks. Disneyland’s Tomorrowland (1971) channelled a similar vision of a technology-driven future, while restaurant chains including Denny’s adopted dramatic rooflines and oversized signage.
Over the years, many early examples of LA’s Googie architecture have been knocked down but a few remain. Join us on a tour of the city’s remaining Googie gems.
Norm’s
Perhaps one of the most famous remaining examples of Googie architecture in Los Angeles is Norm’s diner on La Cienega in West Hollywood. Designed by local architects and Googie pioneers Louis Armét and Eldon Davis in 1957, it was immortalised in the Ed Ruscha artwork, Norm’s La Cienega on Fire, (the original of which hangs in LA’s The Broad museum). The restaurant's low, elongated structure is punctuated by a sharply pitched, faceted roof form that rises above the main frontage and a towering, angular sign to attract nearby motorists.
LAX Theme Building
Touching down at Los Angeles' international airport, you'll be met by a perfect Googie specimen. LAX's Theme Building, built between 1957 and 1961, resembles something from a Steven Spielberg movie. The building's flying saucer-shaped core is supported by four spindly legs with two sweeping, stucco-clad steel arches crossing above the former restaurant and viewing deck.
Multiple designers and architects were involved in the project, which was named a historic-cultural monument in 1993. The plan was overseen by Los Angeles practice Pereira & Luckman, with architect Gin Wong leading the design. He was joined by a team that included architects from fellow LA firm Welton Becket & Associates and the celebrated Southern Californian architect Paul R. Williams.
Unfortunately, visitors can no longer go inside the former restaurant and flight observation deck, but be sure to gaze at its exterior as you leave the airport.
Pann's
In many ways, Googie was architecture for the masses – developed to attract workers grabbing a slice of pie at lunchtime or on their way home from a night shift. Another Armet & Davis-designed Googie gem was the Ladera Heights restaurant, Pann's. Though the firm, responsible for over 4000 Googie designs, was behind the building, its design was the work of lesser-known female architect, Helen Liu Fong. Located on a traffic island, Pann's sky-high sign has all the hallmarks of a Googie classic. The restaurant is still fully operational today.
Cinerama Dome
The Cinerama Dome is an LA icon. Designed by Welton Becket Associates in 1967, it shares many Googie traits while being a distinctly original offering. The building was the first concrete geodesic dome in the world, designed to use a three-projector system across a curved movie screen. The plan was to create more all across the US, but it never happened – leaving the LA Cinerama Dome the only one of its kind.
After closing for business in 2021, it was recently announced that the Cinerama Dome will reopen as an Alamo Drafthouse – a chain of cinemas originating in Austin and one of the first where customers can order food and drinks to their seat. The news was met with delight by most Angelenos, thrilled to see The Dome reopen in any capacity – although many would rather it remain independent. Alamo Drafthouse have confirmed they will preserve The Dome's original signage and exterior.
Bob's Big Boy
David Lynch’s favourite diner became a place of pilgrimage for fans after the director’s passing in 2025. But Bob’s Big Boy has been an LA staple for decades. The Wayne McAllister-designed building opened in 1949 as a shining example of Googie architecture, blending Streamline modern and mid-century influences. Its 70-foot sign – and cheeky, cowlicked mascot – helped put Bob’s Big Boy on the map. The diner’s broad roof canopy projects boldly over a glazed dining room, while curved windows, angled forms and a tall freestanding sign give the modest restaurant a somewhat theatrical presence – perhaps one of the things Lynch loved about it.
Every Friday, Bob’s hosts a classic car night, paying homage to its mid-century past.
Cindy's Restaurant
Something of a proto-Googie example of roadside architecture, Cindy’s opened in 1948, placing it a little before the Googie boom. The diner’s towering sign was almost lost in 2014 after owners struggled to raise the $16,000 needed for repairs but the local community came to the rescue, responding to a crowdsourcing campaign to restore it to its former mid-century glory. The restaurant’s low-lying, modernist structure and Jetsons-adjacent signage make it an interesting example of early Googie – if not mimicking the angular form and freewheeling use of materials of many buildings that followed.
Union 76 gas station
How could we forget gas stations in the Googie canon? This striking example by architect Gin Wong is one of the finest surviving examples. Its sweeping, cantilevered red roof and neon-lit underbelly look as though they are about to take flight. Originally designed as a companion to LAX’s Theme Building, Wong’s futuristic gas station was not selected for the airport, but the design was ultimately realised in Beverly Hills for Union Oil.