It's a funny commonality we all likely share and never give a second thought. If you're asked to describe Southern California style of the '50s and 1960s, what places or businesses do you cite as prime examples?
Old-school diners, probably. Motels and gas stations, too. Suburban tract homes, sure. And, without fail, people summon the following two words: bowling alleys.
How the bowling alley became synonymous with the cutting-edge mid-century architecture will be considered in the new Architecture and Design Museum exhibit "Bowlarama: California Bowling Architecture 1954-1964."
The Miracle Mile museum is lining up the proverbial pins for the show's one-month run, a run that launches on Friday, April 11.
The show considers the "space-age recreation center" that "reinvented the sport of bowling in the 1950s." "(P)hotographs, drawings, and original drawings" will tell the Googie-flavored, neon-whimsical story. And who's at the helm of the curating ship on this one? Mr. Chris Nichols, that maven of LA modernism.
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Of course, lively buildings housing bowling lanes haven't fully disappeared from the SoCal landscape, but the wrecking ball has met more than a few. And while the zigzag roofwork and outlandish signage sometimes needs a buff-up here and there, fans of bowling alley arcana can still sense the spirited style of yore.
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It hasn't been all gutter balls for iconic bowling architecture, in short. See the show then seek out your favorite alley for a little post-museum recreating.
"Bowlarama: California Bowling Architecture 1954-1964" runs at the A+D Museum from April 11 to May 11.
