Now that I’ve been mentally freed (thanks, W!) to post the News Roundups on Mondays, I can leave Friday for something light and fun if I want to, and this week, we ask a light and fun question of terminology.
I’ve seen these types of awnings around, and I figure they’re probably late 1950s to early 1960s. I’ve heard of terms such as “butterfly roof” and “folded plate roof,” but what, pray tell, would you call these, besides colorful?
Categories: Jackson, Recent Past
Preservation in Mississippi 
My first thought was “diamond awning”
LikeLike
They are of an era that merits study. The bottom canopy, particularly, is really quite beautiful. I don’t think we should study these stylistically, but in an attempt to understand the day when the building industry, that part of the industry not touched by architects, was more imaginatively driven. I’ve thought about this a lot. We really see a steady decline from the late 1950s to now in automobile design, for instance. Look at a 57 Chevy* and look at at 2010 Chevrolet. It does all connect, and capital A architecture outside of what the “star” architects make has been in a similar decline. I suspect as with everything else it has to do with a decline in education at every level.
How’s that for a Friday morning downer?
As to your question, E.L., I’d call them tail-fin architecture*. Better yet, TALE-fin architecture. Someone was thinking, telling a story when these were sitting on a drawing board.
LikeLike
I like the idea of them being tail-fin architecture – the second one especially. All the building needs is some white stripes or trim to complete the “looks like a 1050s car” feeling it already has going for it.
LikeLike
of course, keeping an automobile related them, we could call it chevron architecture.
LikeLike
By a strange coincidence, the Wall Street Journal Saturday edition had an article titled “What would Don Draper drive?.”
LikeLike
I just call them fun! I’m surprised you don’t have a phrase like “roof noodle” for them, E.L.! I <3 Kitsch!
LikeLike
You’re the one who comes up with such creative names as roof noodle, Carunzel. I’m the detail person–you’re the idea person, or something like that. :-)
LikeLike
How about “Waffle.”
LikeLike
These bear some resemblance to the California coffee shop style otherwise known as “Googie.”
LikeLike
Oh, oh, I was trying to think of what that was called the other day! That really is what it’s known as now, at least.
“Roof noodle” is not mine, alas; I think somewhere in the archives you attributed it to someone else– it’s in a post about the First National Bank/Trustmark building downtown. I wish I was so creative!
LikeLike
Well, now you’ve spoiled it–in my brain, “roof noodle” was yours, so you should have just accepted the credit! :-)
LikeLike
Poor Gipson Discount foods isn’t looking so hot these days. I believe it was built in 1958 so it would be potentially eligible as tax credit project.
LikeLike