Perkins Architectural - Exchange - Recognition

Hollywood Star, June 2005
by John Perkins
.pdf of the original article

As an architect, even though I was taught to think serious thoughts about
serious buildings, I still adored the exuberance, fun and endearing qualities of
roadside architecture. When a building becomes the sign for the business it
houses, we have an example of roadside architecture. Portland, and
specifically the eastside of Portland, has been blessed with many wonderful
works embracing the whimsy, theme or iconic nature of roadside design.

Sandy Boulevard was once a highway and major route into Portland from the
east, so many roadside wonders were sited along its path. Some are gone,
some have been altered and some remain. Roadside architecture can be
divided into three categories:
thematic, iconic, and whimsical.

Thematic
Thematic roadside design adopts its imagery from another time or culture. A
spectacular example was the Tebbetts’ Oriental Theatre, which sat on
Southeast Grand Avenue at the foot of the Morrison Bridge. The design was
a cacophony of Asian influences, including the Cambodian temple of Angkor
Wat. In addition to life-size plaster elephants, apes, fish, mythological
creatures and Hindu deities, the theater boasted a nursery, a uniquely
installed Wurlitzer organ and orchestra pit. To gain a competitive advantage
with other theaters, Tebbetts’ Oriental Theatre patrons were transported to
an exotic fantasy world, a result of the owner’s decision to fully embrace
thematic design ideas.

Resplendent with neon, round entry door, pagoda roof, arched foot bridge
over the koi pond and Chinese-inspired motifs, the Pagoda Restaurant in the
Hollywood district has been a beacon of thematic kitsch for almost 70 years.
The building soon will be renovated into a branch bank and the imagery lost.
The pagoda roof structure is not sufficiently stable for relocation, and it is
covered in lead-based paint. The Hollywood Neighborhood Association is
working in concert with the bank to re-use building elements as feasible to
create a pagoda bus shelter across the street at Northeast 39th Avenue and
Sandy Boulevard.

Iconic
When a building’s design is so unique that it becomes the image of the
business, it has attained iconic status. An architect can design with the intent
of creating an icon, but it is the general public that bestows the honor. Think
of the original McDonald’s golden arches, North Portland’s Waddles
restaurant (now closed) or Northeast Portland’s Tik-Tok (also closed) as
great examples. Those buildings and the businesses they housed were firmly
connected in our community psyche. We have special empathy and
sentiment for their combination of art, commerce and uniqueness.

Whimsical
A shoe store in a shoe-shaped building, a dairy processing plant under a
giant milk bottle, and a gas station with the attendant’s
booth in the form of a giant mushroom illustrate whimsical roadside
architecture at its best. A business housed in an instantly recognizable
building achieves a visibility unequaled by glossy brochures, slick
advertisements or catchy slogans. Whimsy can be an integral part of a
busines’s serious marketing plan. If a product or service depends upon foot
traffic, car traffic or public presence, a building of whimsical roadside design
makes a lot of sense.

Our inventory of roadside architecture is diminishing. The principles that
leading designers use to create our current examples
remain as valid today as yesteryear. We need to appreciate our existing
roadside jewels and support their restoration and renovation, and we need
to look for opportunities to build new wonders. When executed with verve,
confidence and flair, whimsical roadside work is seriously gleeful fun.