Armet Davis Newlove Architects
Armet Davis Newlove Architects, formerly known as Armet & Davis, is a California based architectural firm known for working in the Googie architecture style that marks many distinctive coffee shops and eateries in Southern California. The firm designed Pann's, the first Norms Restaurant, the Holiday Bowl and many other iconic locations. It was formed by Louis Armet and Eldon Davis[1] in 1947.[2][3] Victor Newlove joined the firm in 1963 and became a partner in 1972, changing the firm's name to Armet Davis Newlove Architects.[4] According to the firm's website, it has designed over 4,000 buildings in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Indonesia.[4]
Some of the firm's design hallmarks included radically vaulted roofing, a room-length dining counter and an outsized comet-shaped signage to beckon drivers from off the street.[5] Armet & Davis have been referred to as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of '50s coffee shops."[6] "According to critic Philip Langdon, Armet & Davis designs came to define 'coffee shop' for much of America."[7] Their Holiday Bowl (building) bowling alley served cultural, architectural, and recreational purposes for the Crenshaw district.[8] The firm is said to have "defined '50s Googie architecture." [8]
Pann's was designed by Helen Fong, who joined the firm in 1951,[2][6][9] and included tropical landscaping.[10] She also designed the Holiday Bowl (building), Johnie's coffee shop, and the original Norms Restaurant,[2] On the 90th birthday of Eldon Davis, fans joined him for a meal at Norms and a tour of some of the buildings the firm designed.[5] The firm also designed Schwab's Drugstore on Sunset Boulevard.[11]
Photographer Jack Laxer who did stereo pictures (3-D when polarized glasses are worn) took photos of the firm's work.[12] He took photos with stereographic film of the Holiday Bowl bowling alley on Crenshaw Boulevard (circa 1957) and Norms Restaurant on Slauson Avenue. Armet & Davis was one of his key clients.[13]
The firm also designed hotels, such as a Sheraton in Canada, a Lutheran church,[14] animal shelter[15] and schools.[16][17][18] L&B Manufacturing in Santa Monica produced seating for many of the coffee shops that were designed by Armet & Davis[19]
Buildings
- Kerry's Coffee shop (now a Mel's Drive-In), Sherman Oaks (1947)[20]
- Romeo's Times Square / Johnie's Wilshire (1955)
- Holly's / Hawthorne Grill (1956)
- Falcon Coffee Shop, Hawthorne (1956)
- Pann's Restaurant (1956)
- Norms Restaurant (the first one), West Hollywood (1957)
- Holiday Bowl building, Crenshaw Blvd & W 38th St, Los Angeles, CA (demolished 2007) (1958)
- Ship's Restaurant, La Cienega & Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (1950's)
- The Steak House (restaurant & nightclub), 8622 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA (now a laundromat) (1959)
- Wich Stand, Wilshire (1958)
- Conrad's (originally Donly's, then Conrad's, now Astro Family Restaurant), Silver Lake (1958)
- Stanley Burke's (then Corky's, now Lamplighter), Sherman Oaks (1958)
- Denny's, Van Nuys (1958)
- Penguin Coffee Shop (now Dr. Beauchamp's), Santa Monica (1959)
- Denny's, North Hollywood (1960)
- Twain's Restaurant, Studio City (1960)
- Sam's Cafe, Glendale
- Glen Capri Motel, Glendale
- Prebles (later Sandi's Family Restaurant), Alhambra
- Bob's Big Boy #23, Alhambra #34, Northridge, Bob's Big Boy #135 (Now Coco's), Mission Hills, #147 (now Coco's) Pasadena, #158, Glendale #181, Van Nuys (1980)
- Lulu's Restaurant, Van Nuys
- Norms #6, Hawthorne Boulevard; Norms #8, Slauson Ave., Huntington Park; Norms Restaurant, Long Beach
- Ron-dee Coffee Shop, San Fernando (demolished 2004)
[21]
References
- ^ Friedlander, Whitney (2008-05-16). "Going on a hunt for Googie architecture in Southern California". Los Angeles Times. http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-googie18-2008may18. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ a b c Woo, Elaine (2005-04-26). "Helen Liu Fong obituary". Los Angeles Times. pp. B10. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/26/local/me-fong26. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (2011-04-26). "Eldon Davis dies at 94; architect designed 'Googie' coffee shops". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-me-eldon-davis-20110426,0,5591348.story?track=rss. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ^ a b "Armet Davis Newlove Architects". http://www.adnarch.com/. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ^ a b Brown, August (2007-02-05). "It's Googie a go-go; Architect Eldon Davis marks his 90th birthday with a tour of sites he helped put on the map". Los Angeles Times. p. E3. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/05/entertainment/et-googie5. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ a b "Well, that - and the look of the place. For Pann's is a classic example of '50s coffee shop architecture, a style called Googie, named after a Los Angeles restaurant." Shindler, Merrill (2009-06-02). "Pann's dishes up blue plate specials amid Googie decor". Daily Breeze (Los Angeles). http://www.dailybreeze.com/lifeandculture/ci_11638380. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ Wallace, Amy (1993-04-01). "You Can Still Get a Cup of Nostalgia at L.A.'s . . . Coffee Shops Modern". Los Angeles Times. p. B1. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-01/local/me-17740_1_coffee-shop. Retrieved 2009-02-21. ]
- ^ a b Leibowitz, Ed (1999-08-08). "The Best...The Beautiful...and the Bizarre; THE 'SHAW; Holiday Bowl: Strike or Spare?". Los Angeles Times Magazine. p. 8. http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/08/magazine/tm-63656. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Hess, Alan (2004). Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. Chronicle. p. 93. ISBN 9780811842723. http://books.google.com/books?id=uYiGA6QNE8sC&client=firefox-a.
- ^ Wallace, Amy (1993-04-01). "You Can Still Get a Cup of Nostalgia at L.A.'s . . . Coffee Shops Modern". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-01/local/me-17740_1_coffee-shop. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ Whiteson, Leon (1990-09-01). "Short Future for Futuristic Coffee Shop? Architecture: Although the Wichstand was granted historic landmark status by Los Angeles County, the Googie-style building may still face the wrecking ball". Los Angeles Times. p. E1. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-10/news/vw-256_1_coffee-shop-design. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Stevens, Kimberly (2001-11-29). "The 50's and 60's, Through 3-D Glasses". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E0DE173DF93AA15752C1A9679C8B63. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Bryant, Kathy (2001-11-22). "All Three Sides of the Story; Photographer Jack Laxer brought '50s 'Googie' architecture to life on stereographic film". Los Angeles Times. p. E2. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/22/news/cl-7021.
- ^ "New Lutheran Church Ready". Los Angeles Times. 1958-06-08. p. F16.
- ^ "Plans for New Animal Shelter OKd by Bureau". Los Angeles Times. 1958-03-02. p. G17.
- ^ "Plans for Parochial Schools, Church Set". Los Angeles Times. 1959-04-19. p. F13. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/494105962.html?dids=494105962:494105962&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&date=Apr+19%2C+1959&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=PLANS+FOR+PAROCHIAL+SCHOOL%2C+CHURCH+SET&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ "Parochial school set for Malibu Area". Los Angeles Times. 1958-02-16. p. F13.
- ^ "Restaurant design is not the chief concern of Armet & Davis... Armet & Davis has turned out 139 schools and churches, 80 commercial [buildings].""Socked by sockeye he turns to designing". Los Angeles Times. 1964-11-22.
- ^ "We manufactured the booths, tables, stools and chairs for several Ship's and Norm's, Tiny Naylor's, Pann's and others." "Letter to the editor: L.A.'s wealth of historic trends". Los Angeles Times. 2005-11-17. p. F7. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/17/home/hm-letters17.5.
- ^ "Mel's Drive in Sherman Oaks". http://www.melsdrive-in.com/hoursandlocations/shermanoaks.html. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ http://www.laokay.com/ArmetDavisNewlove.htm
External links