Seattle Twist

Last Saturday it was a cold, drizzly night. Clusters of people drawn to the Georgetown Art Attack stood across the street from where the Rainier Cold Storage stock house building was being demolished, taking in the beauty. The rain was misting and sodium streetlights reflected off clouds onto the crumbling brick, broken windows, and jagged edges of wood. It looked like it did not want to come down, but was so graceful in its decay. We speculated about whether any of it would be preserved.

Dan Bertolet at hugeasscity.com points out that the cooler in the building had frozen the ground underneath, and when the cooler was turned off in 2002, the resulting settling made the building unsound. At the Slog there’s a lot of discussion about whether it really needed to come down, and whether this is another step towards gentrifying Georgetown. We hope not. The Seattle P-I gives history and more info here.

photo (c) matt tamaru

Lots of photos of the demolition and building at flickr.

Set your Tivo’s to see my interview with Jenny Cunningham, a reporter with KCTS-TV (9) in Seattle tomorrow morning, Sunday 2/10 at 10:30AM on Channel 9. She has been working on a segment called, “Googie versus Goliath,” and it’s a look at the landmarking process in Seattle and the controversy surrounding the Ballard Manning’s/Denny’s battle. She invited me to add my two cents to the proceedings, as I’ve been documenting Googie architecture in the Seattle area for several years on www.SeattleGoogie.com.

Folks have asked me what prompted my interest in Google and I have to think it was looking at the Space Needle most every day outside my window. We’re living here with the largest known monument to Googe Architecture right in our backyard. What’s not to love?

Googie Architecture is most closely associated with the popular architecture and culture of 1950’s and 60’s Southern California, but the Seattle area had it share as well. Though quicky disappearing, there are still some remnants of this modern and space-age look around Seattle, and this Ballard Mannings building is one of them, and that’s why it’s so important to try to preserve this building.

Googie Architecture features bold angles, sweeping cantilevered roofs and pop-culture design. It was a way to grab and hold the attention of a budding car-culture, as we sped by on the freeways. It was a glimpse of the future, Today.

Knute Berger has a great series of articles about the controversy at Crosscut, our local online magazine of news from the Great Nearby.

Denny’s fans hunger for a historic grand slam in Seattle (Los Angeles Times)