Generic Ballard vs. Googie

Posted by Leslie

As a long time Ballard resident, my family has live here over 30 years, I find myself torn between the excitement of growth and the inevitable demise of old Ballard. “No More Condos” is definitely the latest Ballard battle cry. I’m wondering if the protests aren’t really against more condos or against the extremely generic view that seems in Ballard’s future? All the new buildings look alarmingly the same and just when you think there’s no more space for another complex, another town block is leveled and new construction starts up. The controversy that does intrigue me the most, perhaps because I was an art history major in college, is the discussion regarding the demolition of the Denny’s at 15th and Market. The style is not personally my favorite, but I have a soft spot for preservation, so again I feel torn. If you’re not familiar with the style, Wikipedia describes googie, as originating in LA in 1949, as an “exaggerated modern style seen in coffee shops, bowling alleys in the 50’s and 60’s.” And taking that description to a higher level it “epitomized the spirit a generation demanded, looking excitingly upward towards a bright, technological and futuristic age” The so called futuristic glimpse of what architecture was to become is evident in other local examples such as the Pacific Science Center, the Monorail, the Pink Elephant car wash and of course Dick’s Hamburgers on NE 45th. So, perhaps the Denny’s discussion has at least increased the awareness of the ‘googie style’ of architecture and the important place it has been in our history. We may not save the Denny’s but let’s hope the awareness helps the other googie style examples in the city warrant preserving in the future. In the coming years, as Ballard becomes more and more bland and ordinary, I will always wonder if the new Ballard wouldn’t have been more interesting less generic and a lot more googie!