For decades, Googie architecture was dismissed as commercial kitsch, leading to widespread demolition as architectural tastes shifted toward the International Style. However, recent years have seen a notable shift in attitudes, with several magnificent examples surviving as monuments to mid-century optimism today.
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Among the preserved Googie structures is the oldest operating McDonald’s in Downey, California, which was the first McDonald’s to feature the now-iconic Golden Arches, originally conceived as visual lures to catch motorists’ attention.
Designed by architect Stanley Clark Meston in 1953, the building features a tilted, wedge-shaped roof, sweeping curved arches, and canted plate-glass windows–all unified in a forward-looking aesthetic that remains largely unchanged since its opening, serving as a time capsule of mid-century design and commercial innovation.