Architect Breaks Down Why All American Diners Look Like That | Architectural Digest
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2023
- Today Michael Wyetzner of Michielli + Wyetzner Architects returns to Architectural Digest to explore the design evolution of American diners. A cornerstone of American dining culture, their distinctive style has been emulated around the world making them a popular salute to the USA. Michael provides an expert look into the history behind their design evolution from the 1920s through to the 1960s and explains why all diners came to look like that.
Director: Hiatt Woods
Producer: Skylar Economy
Field Producer: Alyssa Marino
Associate Producer: Landrie Hatcher
Director of Photography: Charlie Jordan
Audio: Gabe Quiroga
Camera Operator: Cloud Corredor
Production Assistant: Patrick Sargent
Editor: Ron Douglas
Post Production Supervisor: Andrew Montague
Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew
Supervising Editor: Christina Mankellow
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
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You can never fully appreciate / understand art of any kind if you don’t understand its history. This guy is not just an architect he is also a historian/curator
But he's also an architect.
He should've mentioned Edward Hopper's painting "Night Hawks", which seems to encapsulate why we love diners. A handful of patrons sitting in a corner diner in some dark neighborhood, the place is an island of warm comfortable light. Anyone who's ever been out late at night and looked for a place to eat wants to sit in that diner talking to those people.
I thought he would too.
No one wants to chat with their waiter late-night, but othwerwise spot on lol
@@maryanneevans8812I'm surprised he didn't mention that painting in the video.
That has long been one of my favorite paintings. Thank you for mentioning it and doing such so eloquently.
Some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had were with strangers eating late at night at diners.
Mr. Wyetzner is one of those rare people who have the passion, energy and knowledge to give great insights and capture the attention. Terrific videos.
Agree 100000%
He's mispronouncing "Googie" throughout the entire video.
I would not know, nor do I care. The content of the video was extraordinary. ❤
This is why I love this channel. An amalgam of history and architecture, with a sprinkle of post-classical romanticism on it.
beautifully said.
dramatic ahh
What would it sound like if it wasn’t post-classical romantic? (Everything about our lives is drenched in romanticism in 2023)
Another large part of Googie architecture was its extravagant use of neon lighting to attract attention. During the end of its era, cities started banning neon signage as it was associated with red districts and crime, during urban redevelopment and the fight to reduce crime.
And a lisp.
I'm European and have never been to America, yet I've had a strange fascination with diners for the longest time.
One of my bucket list items is to visit the Blue Moon diner located in Beaverton, Oregon. It's a completely unremarkable diner, except for the fact that it served as the inspiration for the diner in the video game Life is Strange, which is important to me.
😂 What a coincidence, I live very close to Beaverton. Never heard of this diner, Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in US.
@@Froyofreeze Then you can go there and write back the experience for the guy. The food should not be greasy, there should not be cockroaches, etc
When you said Blue Moon I knew where you were going wit this
I’ve lived in Oregon most my life and never heard of this place! 😱Thank you! Gonna check it out!
That sounds great! If you make it to the East Coast, try any of the small roadside diners in the NY/NJ/PA area. Always great food and atmosphere.
In SoCal, I’d recommend the Norm’s chain in LA/Orange County, and if you make it to San Diego, the Night & Day Cafe on Coronado Island (try the garbage omelette).
I was waiting for him to reference The Jetsons... and he didn't disappoint.
I love this series, incidentally.
As an Australian, getting to see a diner in real life is so exciting. We grow up watching them in movies and tv shows. It's weirdly nostaglic
There's a few around, Pellegrini's Espresso Bar for example
@@PeterPaoliello yes! small but similar
Soda Rock Diner in South Yarra, VIC is a great example
@@kevinpraditra yes, although it's fake (a recreation not original)
As an American, it's interesting to hear an outside perspective! Would you say that there's any sort of Australian equivalent to the diner?
So profound- eating at a diner is an experience of an expression of the best parts of our shared history and it skips over the low lights.
Fun fact: The diner he uses as an example of the classic diner is the 11th St Diner in Miami. It was originally built in 1948 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and was bought by a Miami Investor in 1992 and shipped down there.
Hey very cool! As a PA native I’m really appreciative of that fun tidbit!
as a resident of Miami Beach... I've eaten there many-many times!
That was tripping me out for a minute, I was like Big Pink... no wait
An investor brought it there. So is it an overpriced tourist trap now?
Very cool, probably still a reasonable route to take. Even with modern costs today.
Sadly in Australia we never saw the American Diner idea take off here because we had Pubs. You may find restaurants (shop style) with an Americana theme and that's about it. In the 1960's there was an attempt by a company to do a American Diner in Sydney but it's now a car dealership. I think it was called Henry's Diner.
Operator Diner in Melbourne is thriving on that theme, with an American diner menu, although it really looks more like a typical Australian (or at least Melbourne) cafe.
Harry's Cafe de Wheels? Very Googie architecture now I think about it with all the chrome and art deco and neon! Still going too I think?!
Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Tempe is probably the best version of Googie architecture I've seen in Sydney.
@leokimvideo I was very pleasantly surprised to have seen something very close to a US diner at the Austral Cafe in Murwillumbahg near Byron Bay. There is a lot art deco in town too. Cool place.
I remember Hungry Jacks used to all be inspired by 50s Diners. Bright red booth seats with big stainless steel trimmings, black and white checkered floors, neon signs and photos of iconic 1950s actors on the walls. Now they all look like uninspired, dull, 'minimalist' interiors like everywhere else.
US diners seem to serve a similar function to British pubs, in their familiarity and foundations in tradition and history
I think they might be more similar to British Cafes/greasy spoons, in that both diners and cafes are alcohol-free establishments serving cheap, basic food to mostly working-class people, and they're usually independently owned and not part of a chain.
On the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, the circles could be seen as planets. Looking closer, each circle is a 1922 silver dollar. Silver dollars didn't circulate in most of America but were used as gaming tokens in Nevada until the mid-1960s.
In 1962 in Connecticut, you could go to the bank and ask for them, get mass quantities if you wanted... Morgan Dollars, Peace Dollars too.
AD hit gold with Wyetzner-he makes topics so accessible & interesting. He’s unpretentious but you know he has a wealth of knowledge
I wish diners would come back. They are so nostalgic and movie style classic. I love the stairs at the entrance and the long narrowness inside and the boothes, the round stools at the long counters and red and white checkered floor tiles!
I've always heard "Googie" pronounced with a hard "G" on both syllables -- "GOO-gie" rather than "Goo-JEE".... At first I thought Mr. Wyetzner was saying "Gucci"....
Lies again? American Education Deeper Inside
I think his New Yawrk accent may have something to do with it?
Googie? Google
Yes, as in Googie Withers the actress
What the heck is googie
Wyetzner is one of my favorite guys on TH-cam. Most architects are terrible at explaining things to the public, but he knows what he's doing
Completely agree!
@thunderboob7502 What beautiful architecture does Wyetzner desire to destroy?
@@hd-xc2lz Don't worry, this is just a white nationalist talking point.
@@SamAronow Okay, thanks. And so please fill me in, what buildings are white nationalists concerned to protect?
So glad he's back. Mr. Wyetzner's video on tenements and other New York apartment types has been invaluable to the research for my next video.
It is such an iconic bit of Americana, the classic diner look. Hard to look at it and not have 50s rock'n'roll music in your head.
In Canada, where I live, diners are inextricably linked to migration waves, particularly Greek migration. So, you get souvlaki and Greek salads as part of the diner deal. When in the US, I often visited Pittsburgh, and went to Ritter’s for breakfast. Classic diner, Greek stuff but a wonderful twist: cooks were African American and we got green fried tomatoes and grits. I am a lover of diners❤️❤️
now Albanians run diners. Idk if any actual Albanian food gets served.
In Winnipeg the Greek immigrants bring gyros and also the fatboy burger it’s such an interesting concept
@@paulblichmann2791 In the US or Canada, and in which region? This is the first I'm hearing about Albanians owning diners en masse.
Ritter's is legendary
Lots of Greek diners in the US, too.
Our family restaurant in Downey CA. is a googie style. It’s been in so many movies, commercials and videos it’s hard to keep track. We have owned it since the early 60s and to this day we still own it. My Father-in-Law has made a giant impact on history and into the future.
What is it called?
do you own Bob’s Big Boys, or maybe Pops? I live in Downey, have been going to Bob’s and Pop’s for years!
Norm's?
@@justinwalker1643, The restaurant in Downey was Johnnies Broiler. It’s now a retro Bobs big boy. We still own the property but it’s nice to have someone else run the business.
@@Captain-ln3vhWow. This changed in the last 7 months?
I worked for a short time in the late 90s at the Empire diner in New York City. I always found it to be the most beautiful which is why they’ve used it and lots of commercials and movies, including woody Allen’s Manhattan.
Thank you for your comment! I just checked it out online. It's a beautiful diner.
The Square Diner in Tribeca is also iconic. It's in Tribe Called Quests Electric Relaxation video, my favorite song capturing NYC in the early 90s! Not sure I'd it's still there, tho.
I walked past it last nite and it is even more beautiful now
What's fun is to find an American Diner in a foreign country. I've found them in Germany, England and Russia. They even try to imitate the same foods shown in this video. A Russian told me that when he is in that diner in Russia, he feels the nostalgia of being an American.
Where in Germany? There used to be a diner in a place near where I grew upon the UK, Lye, West Midlands but it's gone now.
@@doctorwalex It is the "Double Six Diner" in Donaueschingen, Germany which is on Highway 27, south of Stuttgart. The name Double Six is in reference to "Route 66" in the US, which was a main highway during the heydays of such diners. Donaueschingen is where the Brigach and Breg rivers meet to form the start of the Danube River.
@@CdA_Native Excellent. Thank you. Next time I'm that way I will check it out. 1n 1999 I was in the States for a few months and drove some of Route 66. I'd love to go back and do another road trip.
@@phillipbanes5484 "The states" is fine. "the U.S." or "United States" are definitely more common terms than "U.S.A." You're being kind of a 8==D to these foreign folks.
@@phillipbanes5484 Probably because they grew up watching American movies.
Beautifully explained. He explained it both technical and artistic. Now I understand the context of Diners
I love how the story of diners breaks off into the story of this style of architecture.
I love diners! It is absolutely comforting to know that they will serve the usual, especially scrumptious chocolate milk shakes. I love the way Mr. Wyetzner traces the history of everything and gives examples to make it even clearer. He's my favorite, I never miss one of his videos!
The Space Needle is a masterpiece. It's the best observation deck / restaurant ever built. Perfection!
Can we get more of these diners again? They still do well... especially late at night...it feels like America needs a revival or some kind of excitement again...
I agree here. Everything just seems a bit boring.
I disagree. I see the beauty, but that nostalgic escapist yearning americana for an ideal past that never really existed --- it gives us an excuse not to look dry-eyed at the mess we have and how to get forward.
Basically Waffle House is about the closest remnants. My grandmother ran a diner and even in the early 90s they were struggling to stay relevant though. Might be over for now
Technically Waffle House looks and feels like that
Unfortunately our car-centric infrastructure and the ubiquity of drive-through fast food restaurants have really damaged the viability of the American diner. Walkable neighborhoods are much better environments for small businesses like diners to thrive.
I could listen to Mr. Wyetzner
all day long.. I love his videos! I’ve learned so much- so enlightening..
You can't go wrong with a beautiful comfortable diner
It would be interesting to get an analyzation of the 70's architecture, famous for being the ugliest era, commonly seen on university campuses.
Additionally, the 80's architecture seen in malls and corporate buildings with the triangular motif would be another interesting era to analyze as well.
oh gosh that college campus architecture.... all the 70's stuff is super hideous, and all the modern stuff they're replacing it with is soul-less!!!
@@KingOfThePanduz I will defend the JFK library at Cal State LA any day. Though it needs more entrances and exits.
@@KingOfThePanduz It's soul-less sure, but at least it's clean and sleek looking. 70s architecture is irrideemable imo
@ghost mall Thank you, I'm a terrible speller.
Some (most?) of those 70s buildings are bad but there’s some great examples as well. Now that nostalgia encompasses 70s, 80s and (gasp) 90s, I wonder what kind of buildings we’re going to have a newfound appreciation for.
As Ken Buehler (North Shore Railroad Museum, Duluth, MN) says, "If you look hard enough, it all comes back to the railroad."
I always get a warm feeling when I see one of the various Googie style diners sprinkled through LA. Many have been torn down for redevelopment but many still are around and I love them.
Can't beat a classic Worcester diner. Built as pre-fab restaurants by the Worcester Lunch Car Co., and others. They were built for delivery by rail, but weren't really a parked diner car. Stainless steel and bright lights were used to highlight cleanliness, not always the norm in early 1900's. Stainless and lights worked great for Art Deco stylists and the design really took off.
When I was a kid I thought ALL diners had to be a traincar. Guess it was a Woostah thing.
I went to a diner in high school in New Jersey (arguably diner capital of the world), called the Claremont Diner. Designed just as you describe. Same menu with lots of memories. Then it was replaced by, of all things a foreign car dealership. So you can add that to the list of diners reflecting the history of the country.
I love the DINER in Brooklyn. The menu changes daily and it’s written on the paper that covers the table you sit. Love the food
Diners feel so cozy
As a Californian, i have always been fascinated with the seaside diners and seaside town architecture over here. Mixed with post war influences but sometimes just copy pasted east coast style. Would love to see a video about the “stolen or copied” architecture of the united states coasts
As a Californian by birth and New Jerseyan by necessity, that’s a great idea. Unfortunately our great Diner culture here in NJ is fading. Sad.
@@BwInNewJersey Shame, visiting a New Jersey diner is on my bucket list.
Yeah. To all of it.
@@Desmaad its not too late
@@BwInNewJerseyWhere are you in NJ all the towns around me (including mine) have their own diners, they always seem busy and at the very least not struggling for business.
I love the 1920's and 50's aesthetic. That's a diner I would love to see again.
I did a photograph series of diners for a photography assignment I had in college. Went to a bunch of diners and tried to find different ways to photograph them. It was pretty fun.
Thanks for another great article, MW. Back in the 90s, The Empire Diner on 10th Avenue had the best Sunday brunch- fried eggs, hash browns & a screwdriver…classic.
I love this type of videos, they use architecture to teach history. It’d be interesting if you did a video on public housing in the US, like the projects in New York.
When I stayed in the U.S. , I was fascinated by the architecture like Varsity 🍔. They’re very American but it’s not until watching this video that I realize that they represent many of the iconic architecture in the U.S.
I love the signage, interior spacial design, and the way these spaces are so well integrated into the surroundings they always look appropriate and inviting whether in a city or on the roadside on the edge of a field.
These videos never fail to both entertain and educate. One of my absolute favorite series on TH-cam.
Amazingly connecting together different aspects of American architecture I didn't even know were related, in a coherent, entertaining, and engaging narrative, well done sir! Loved it
My favorite diner as a kid was Bob’s Big Boy. I don’t see them around anymore. Every once in awhile I’ll come across an original Denny’s diner and the architecture is so beautiful and distinct.
There’s a Frich’s Big Boy in Lancaster, Oh. More modern than it used to be, but still has the feel of the original.
I love the analysis of things we take for granted. It makes you appreciate the world around us. Thanks!
I used to look forward to AD's Open House, but the celebrity houses are starting to all look similar and soo curated at times. Glad there are segments like this that are insightful and informative.
As a history buff, a foodie, and a nerd for great structures, I can sit in a two-hour class with Mr. Wyetzner talking about this video without getting bored. His passion and energy is just so wonderful to watch.
This was incredibly well written. The call back at the end was a perfect conclusion and I loved it. Thank you for the education.
Wyetzner really does an amazing job in these videos, and makes them even more engaging with elevated language and coherent, easy-to-follow flow in his speech
This video is fascinating and the host’s enthusiasm is contagious. Thanks for sharing!
The Reagan era came back to diners and the Googie estethics. For example, it's not a coincidence that Marty McFly returns to the 1950s in Back to the Future. It's interesting how politics and estethics trends follow each other.
I love these educational videos so much! Keep ‘em coming, AD!!
Jackson Hole diner Astoria Queens. Been eating there since it was called Airline Diner since it’s close to LaGuardia. Loved a few blocks away. Airline diner sign is still there for it’s a landmark.
Loved, loved this delightful journey through the decades! Thank you!
Thanks for explaining the history behind diners. Very well done, I learned a lot watching this. 😊
I think of Howard Johnson's restaurants as being diner like. The one near me where I grew up very much had a diner design with a counter and booths and their signage and color schemes were very eye catching. Growing up on the East Coast diners were everywhere and great for a dependable, inexpensive meal. Thanks for the background!
I was thinking the same and wonder why it wasn't mentioned. All the HJs seem to have disappeared, and even their brand of frozen food. I never got a chance to eat in one. But it will live on in something I say, that my parents used to say: when I got too particular about what I wanted to eat, they'd say, "Eat what's in front of you! This isn't the Howard Johnson's!" 😄
Again, Fantastic!! Tying together so much history in the architecture of diners!! TY
I learn so much with every one of these videos! It's an incredible amount of information in such a brief amount of time, but it never overwhelms and it always entertains :)
Ten years ago I came to the US and I lost my mind when I first went to a diner, I was so excited 😆
I’d known it was called googie, but I’d never heard it pronounced before. I thought it was pronounced with hard g’s.
It is pronounced with hard G's, I don't know why he's pronouncing it weird
As long as he spelled it correctly I have no problem. It's just the "Tomato-Tomato" sort of problem anyway...
Same
Maybe he likes to be tickled. Googie goo. 😂
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, you would often see kitschy 50s themed diners with the checkerboard floors, red vinyl booths, jukebox and chrome barstools, and I always loved those places. They are really hard to find, nowadays
Yes, breakfasts and burgers - also around NY, CT, NJ, PA - many diners are owned by Greek immigrants or their children - Greek food also common. Also, various grilled cheese dishes.
Very cool! Love all the interesting details!
In my hometown of Anderson, IN there was a golf course named Boca Real, a prime example of Googie architecture. Of course it’s been torn down, but the clubhouse and other buildings were so cool.
The best one yet! Loved this level of depth and history. Thank you AD!
This vlog was super. I always learn so much when I watch your channel. Thank you so much for sharing.
Love counter food and meet and threes...but love the architecture more and this AD episode has been informative and just amazing!! Thanks AD
I love the history of it all. This guy is quick, to the point, and he kinda sounds like Christopher Walken. I could listen to him all day. Oh, and gimme a patty melt with fries...NO ONIONS!
"Oh, yes I know of Gucci."
"Not Gucci; GOOGIE, you uncultured swine!"
Great video, thanks for posting this!
I based my kitchen design around googie design and never knew it had a name! chrome appliances, checkered floors, and ice cream decor. I was inspired by diners like Kellogg's in Williamsburg with my favorite cheesecake and childhood memories of black and white milkshakes
I never knew the name either! So cool
Question - I have been in search of 10x10 or (preferably) 12x12 black and white flooring for my kitchen. The only thing we can find is sheet vinyl with a smaller pattern or cork. We went with cork, but it's not sturdy enough for our family. Do you know what flooring brand you used in your kitchen?
Scrambled eggs with grated cheddar on them, hash browns, spicy chicken apple sausages, and a gallon of diner coffee.
And once again a will to live has been launched.
Brilliantly informative and an absolute fun watch! Thank you, sir❤
Great series. Love how he threads it tough through the decades of culture and how it changes the evolution of the simple idea of a dining cart.
Love Michael's videos. So much history in architecture that he breaks down so comprehensively.
I've always loved diners and this video only deepened my appreciation for them as an American institution.
I love these explainers so, so much. Pls keep making them, AD!
Excellent presentation. Fast pace. inspiring photos. Thank you!
I love the look. I worked in one for my first job, ever!
My brother and I used to go to Lancer’s and Bob’s big boy in Burbank..
Bob’s Big Boy - great place!! I still buy their bottled Roquefort salad dressing!
Wonderful show Mr. Wyetzner.
I worked in a classic diner in Central NY for years while in high school. It’s been torn down now, I miss it when I go back to visit.😢
East coast = Diner. West coast = Coffee shop. As a long time trucker and many miles on both coast and in between as well. I always noticed difference in menu . East coast extensive comfort foods, west coast salad and quick sandwich.
@Talitha Denny's and IHOP tend to be more national. Waffle House is mainly south/SE, nothing west/NW/upper midwest/NE.
Expected an architecture lesson. Got a history lesson instead. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing, well done AD!
Another great video - your perspectives on design are very much appreciated. Keep 'em coming!
Fantastic video! Nice blend of real history and context without being too critical. Thanks!
So interesting…what a fascinating demonstration of how architecture changes with society
Love it!
I had dinner at the Space Needle with its rotating sining room. Fancy and yet campy all at once.
i love this kind of video, you're learning art, history and culture at the same time.
Mickey's Diner in St. Paul Minnesota is THE quintessential diner. An absolute landmark!
Este hombre es fantástico, tantas expresiones y palabras, la forma de contarnos la historia, los aspectos estéticos, en fin. Oro puro
Y hasta en España existen los diners. En Madrid, c/Alcalá, cerca de Sol, se encuentra "Tommy Mel's" -evidentemente un homenaje [entre comillas] a los Mel's Diners en California. Buen trabajo, este video, Sr. Weitzner ...
This is such a great series! Googie architecture - who knew? (Well, you of course) Thank you for the information, history and description. I still feel nostalgic when going to a diner. My favorite is either a patty melt, a hot dog with everything, or a cheeseburger 🍔. And of course fries. Unless there are onion rings. And a shake, natch! But, most of all I love the curvature and unique designs of diners - no big box cookie cutter restaurants!!
And how much do you weigh?
Truly enjoyed this watch.
Allin's Diner, Saint Charles MO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this presentation, I truly not only enjoyed it, I actually LIVED it!
My favorite guy at AD!
Same here, I've enjoyed all his videos.
We need more diners.
Thank you so much for teaching me about "Googie architecture". When I first went to the States, I used to love Diners and their train-car architecture. I find them somehow pleasantly intimate.
Brilliant analysis of something I loved and never fully understood until now. Thank you for your brilliant analysis and deep insight.
Great video (as always). My favorite diner was Melrose Diner in South Philadelphia, but it's not there anymore. If you go to a diner is it even a diner experience if you don't get a milkshake?