Googie vs Mid-Century Modern
Googie is the cross-discipline counterpart of Mid-Century Modern — a populist, commercial cousin of mid-century modernism sharing its materials and optimism.
Googie
An exuberant Space Age commercial style of postwar America — upswept roofs, boomerang and starburst motifs, bold signage, and futuristic optimism aimed at the passing motorist.
- Upswept, cantilevered, or parabolic rooflines
- Space Age motifs: starbursts, boomerangs, atoms
- Bold pylons and dramatic exaggerated signage
- Expansive plate glass and exposed structural daring
- Futuristic, car-oriented commercial showmanship
Mid-Century Modern
Warm, livable modernism — clean lines and flat planes opened up with glass walls that dissolve the boundary between indoors and out.
- Clean horizontal lines, flat or low-pitched roofs
- Floor-to-ceiling glass and walls of windows
- Open floor plans and indoor-outdoor flow
- Honest use of wood, stone, and brick
- Integration with the natural site and landscape
At a glance
| Googie | Mid-Century Modern | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1945–1970 | 1945–1969 |
| Discipline | Architecture | Architecture |
| Region | United States, Southern California | United States, Scandinavia |
| Family | Modernism | Modernism |
| Formal traits | upswept, space-age, exaggerated, neon | clean-lined, organic, minimal, indoor-outdoor |
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