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Mid-century brutalist buildings A Vancouver landmark since it went up in 1977, the Harbour Centre Tower was designed by the Webb, Zerafa, Menkes and Housden partnership employing the then, more oft-used, mid-70s Brutalist style. Its smooth unadorned concrete exterior holds two glass elevators and stands 28-stories tall – more than 40 if you include its distinctive flying saucer-shaped topper which Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Near the end of Kalakaua Avenue, past Waikiki towards the base of Diamond Head, sits a strip of mid-century buildings on the Makai side (ocean side) of Kapiolani Park. Plantation style and contemporary houses also fill the neighborhood further along, but for our purposes it’s the mid-rise and high-rise buildings that give the “Gold Coast” its tropical modernist Read more...
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Vintage fashion and more The thrift store to end all thrift stores, the majority of Goodwill Hawaii’s vintage merchandise – which includes retro furniture, housewares and some really great vintage Aloha wear – comes from donations. They are also largely a volunteer-run operation which enables them to put their proceeds straight back into the community which assists those in need Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings The wacky architectural stylings of Googie can be defined by its Atomic Age-inspired geometric shapes, exaggerated rooflines and generous use of glass. Or you can just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop. In fact, the word “Googie” comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. In Palm Springs you’d Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings When defining the wacky architectural stylings of Googie, just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop! In fact, the word Googie comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. Las Vegas still has an array of eye-popping Googie buildings though – defined by their Atomic Age-inspired Read more...
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Mid-century modern furniture Billed as Vancouver’s largest mid-century & Danish modern, vintage and contemporary furniture showroom, this place has a lot going for it including a great selection of new and vintage pieces in immaculate condition. Scandinavian designs by Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Hans Olsen are featured alongside mid-century classics by Charles & Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and George Nelson. Read more...
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495 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Y0 Mid-century postal buildings Occupying an entire city block in Vancouver’s downtown core, the currently decommissioned General Post Office was designed by John McCarter & George Nairne and constructed between 1952-1958. It’s the city’s biggest, boldest and perhaps most distinguished mid-century modern structure still standing, so naturally it has no protective status and its Read more...
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Vintage mid-century apparel Inside this little yellow and orange trimmed house with the white picket fence (we’re not making this up, look at the photo!) is a shop busting with vintage clothing mostly from the 1960s and 70s, so if you’re looking for that Charles Manson-era flowy top or abstract print, chances are Glam Factory Vintage will have it. Owner Stephanie Geniza Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed in 1947 by noted modernist architect E. Stewart Williams, The Frank Sinatra House set the bar in Palm Springs for sophisticated yet cool & casual modern living. Sinatra’s weekend desert retreat, however, was originally to have been a Georgian-style mansion if he’d had his way. Fortunately Williams’ concept for using non-traditional building materials with clean lines and open Read more...
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Vintage Casinos The original Las Vegas was built around Fremont Street, downtown, and started to take off during the Great Depression (yep, that’s ironic) when casino gambling was legalized and construction began on the nearby Hoover Dam. The real casino building boom on Fremont took place in the post-war years and at least six of these locations are still standing. Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Prolific architect Albert Frey lived and worked in Palm Springs for over 60 years, producing more than two-hundred home and building designs and pioneering what would later be termed “desert modernism.” His first home (1210 N. Via Donna), built on the flat lands near the El Mirador Resort in 1940, was a sleek and simple exercise in minimalism and Read more...
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Mid-century brutalist buildings/plaza Comprised of three stunning Brutalist buildings and an inspired outdoor space, the Financial Plaza of the Pacific was originally conceived by Victor Gruen Associates in the mid 1960s as part of a four block revitalization project to make downtown Honolulu more pedestrian friendly. Only one block was fully realized – opened in 1968 – and consists of the 6-story Read more...
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Mid-century/brutalist buildings The tallest building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus is also it’s most interesting. Built by modernist architects Walter Zick & Harris Sharp in 1970, and named for popular State Assembly woman Flora Dungan, the Humanities Building at UNLV is a unique example of combining the International Style with brutalism and desert modernism; a clean facade, lots Read more...
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Vintage & contemporary decor This shop offers high end, select, mid-century modern furniture, home accessories, vintage jewelry and Scandinavian glassware, but it’s the original art that may be the first thing to catch your eye as you walk into this gallery-like space. Flow Modern exhibits revolving collections by photographers, painters and sculptors to help put a contemporary finishing touch on Read more...
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Mid-century popular culture Las Vegas in the 1960s wouldn’t have been the same without Frank Sinatra and his legendary Summit performances with the Rat Pack. Today, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and all, there are a few options to relive those retro days… ♣ The Rat Pack is Back have been entertaining Las Vegas audiences since 1998 and features a Read more...
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Mid-century furniture & collectibles Permanently Closed, May, 2020 What happens when a movie set decorator and a certified antique Appraiser open a shop? You get Filmgo Sales, one of the most unique vintage and collectible stores you’ll likely ever set foot in. Part consignment showroom, part clearing house for Hollywood North’s film and TV productions, FilmGo Sales carries a large and Read more...
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Mid-century bank buildings Dotting south Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo and Camino Parocela stand a handful of elegant mid-century buildings that, in their day, represented the majesty of finance and inspired post-war optimism and consumer confidence. Some still serve the residents of the Coachella Valley as banks, while others have been restored and repurposed. All still inspire… corresponding photos are Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings When called upon to design a new downtown office building in the early 1960s, rather than go full-on high-rise, architect Gerald Hamilton designed a more intimate 8-story complex; a cluster of three towers (1 low and 2 mid-rise) artfully finished in white marble resting on green arched columns above a raised courtyard. He adorned nice minimalist embellishments on Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings In a city that often overlooks its history in favor of the next big thing it’s rare to find a mid-century modern building that still functions as it was originally intended to. Such is the case with the Edward A. Greer Education Center on East Flamingo Rd; still operating as an office building for the Clark County School District. Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Located northeast of the Palm Springs International Airport, the El Rancho Vista Estates was the first tract of homes developed by noted modernist architect Donald Wexler and is a really nice example of your typical late 1950s mid-century modern neighborhood. Wexler and his partner Rick Harrison used inventive desert-modern finishes on the homes which included decorative concrete block walls, clerestory Read more...
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Vintage apparel This cozy clothing store has a real 1970s vibe going for it, offering vintage and retro-style fashions and accessories including t-shirts, jackets, jeans, dresses and a great selection of rare – and quite possibly collectible – vintage patches and pins. In the downtown Arts District. Read more...
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Modernism gift shop In addition to the usual “gift shop” branded apparel, Destination PSP offers modernists their choice of official Modernism Week souvenirs along with mid-century inspired glassware, ceramics and artwork. Palm Springs Film Festival and Desert AIDs Project items are also available, as are large-scale reproductions of vintage Palm Springs Life magazine covers, which are very nice! Destination PSP is Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed for singer, actress and television personality Dinah Shore by noted modernist architect Donald Wexler in 1964, this Old Las Palmas home may not reveal much from the street, but behind its discrete facade the 1.3 acre property defines timeless mid-century modern design, even today (especially today!). Walls of expansive floor to ceiling glass embrace its environment Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings With no less than a dozen mid-century modern buildings (including casinos, listed separately ) in the downtown area, modernists will feel like they’ve hit the jackpot. All are within easy walking distance of each other and we’ve listed them from north to south (more or less)… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Old City Hall Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Designed by noted desert modernist architect William F. Cody in 1947, for which he received the American Institute of Architects Design award, the Del Marcos Hotel was lovingly restored in 2012 and has since received Historic Landmark status. The 17 room mid-century property is a dream come true for adult-only guests who want to get away from Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Designed by Herbert Burns in 1955 and nestled at the base of Mt. San Jacinto, this classic apartment-style hotel boasts 14 rooms (many with small kitchens) surrounding a common pool & spa area that is great for short or longer-term rentals. In fact, the hotel’s founding owners lived and raised their family on the property for many years. Read more...
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Mid-century modern furniture Finding classic mid-century furniture on the Hawaiian islands is harder than you’d think. Fortunately there’s one-stop shopping at the Design Within Reach store, a mainland staple, located at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Modernists looking for furniture and accessories for their home and office can find brand new editions of classic pieces from Herman Miller, Knoll and Artemide Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Wanting to create a functional space that would house a downtown electrical substation as well as double as public art, BC Electric’s chief in the early 1950s, Edward “Dal” Grauer, commissioned architect Ned Pratt and artist BC Binning to make it so. The result was a stunning 3-story rectangular concrete box which boasted a street-front facade of Read more...
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Mid-century & vintage collectibles This is the same legendary Dazzles that occupied space on Palm Canyon Drive for 20 years, relocated to Rancho Mirage. It’s jammed with the kind of retro stuff you might find at a really great yard sale or in your grandmothers attic; Cyclomatic blenders, Bakelite cookware, skinny 60s ties, vintage Chanel … the list goes on, Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Once home to an apricot orchard and a dude ranch, this area was subdivided in 1952 to make way for the Deepwell Estates, a new subdivision that would be comprised of large ranch and mid-century modern-style homes custom designed by noted ‘starchitects’ such as Howard Lapham and Barry Berkus. The stylish neighborhood with its lushly landscaped grounds and Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings As demand for office space increased in Honolulu during the booming 1950s, low-rise buildings gave way to mid-rise construction before the high-rise boom of the 1960s. The Continental building is a marvelous example of modernism at this time, and executed to perfection. Designed by Edwin Bauer and built in 1955, this 6-story office mid-rise exudes a tropical modernist Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Vintage themed rooms with a touch of kitsch and the original kidney shaped swimming pool will transport guests back to the 1950s when this pink shrine to mid-century design began. Currently owned and operated by renowned collector Ruby Montana, whose retro treasures are displayed in each of the six guest suites, the intimate Coral Sands mixes Western Desert Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings The Canadian Pacific Telecommunications Centre (currently occupied by Allstream) was the first mid-century modern structure to go up in Vancouver’s Historic Gastown, a district better known for its classical turn-of-the-century architecture. Designed by Francis Donaldson in 1968, the CP building utilized many of the New Formalist axioms such as an elevated profile, pristine columns and smooth, white, precast Read more...
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Desert modernist buildings Located in the Coachella Valley‘s central community of Palm Desert, the College of the Desert is well worth the 30 minute (or less) drive from Palm Springs for a chance to see desert modernism at its best. Designed in the late 1950s by noted architect John Carl Warnecke (the Hawaii State Capital building) in a unique collaboration Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings On the north side of West Hastings Street’s 1100 block, downtown, just past the Guinness Tower, sit three mid-century buildings constructed in the 1960s-70s by developer R.C. “Dick” Baxter. Known at the time as Columbia Centre, Baxter’s business complex boasted restaurants, offices, a hotel and was once located on prime waterfront property until Coal Harbour’s shoreline was Read more...
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Modernist comfort stations Located at dozens of beaches and parks throughout Oahu, the majority of Hawaii’s “comfort stations” – aka restrooms, changing rooms, toilets etc. – were built during the post war boom years of the 1950s & 60s which gave local architects an opportunity to incorporate the period’s predominantly modernist esthetic into what would otherwise be overlooked utilitarian structures. Read more...
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Mid-century vintage fashion Community Thrift & Vintage in historic Gastown is actually comprised of two stores; their Unisex location at 11 West Hastings Street (see map), and The Frocke Shoppe for ladies wear, around the corner at 311 Carrall Street. Both shops carry a modest selection of nice vintage clothing & accessories from the 1940s to the 1990s, and although Read more...
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Mid-century/vintage furniture If you’re a discriminating modernist in the market for high-end mid-century collectibles, this is the place to be. You’ll find a curated collection of vintage eye candy in their spacious Palm Canyon Drive showroom, including home furnishings, original artwork and loads of accessories by designers like Frankl, Paulin, Castiglioni and more. Christopher Anthony Ltd. also offers their own Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings It could be said that Palm Springs was ground zero for the rapid emergence of mid-century modern civic architecture in the post-war years. In few places was the inventive manner in which new building materials and construction techniques put to such extensive use, and by such an accomplished group of architects, as it was on the Palm Read more...
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Contemporary mid-century furniture Custom made-to-order retro-inspired chairs, TV stands and sideboards is what you’ll find at Carte Blanche Furniture, a Canadian manufacturer whose line of mid-century contemporary designs can be found in limited quantities at retailers The Living Lab in North Vancouver and Wire Home Furnishings in Richmond. Carte Blanche’s retailers deal mostly in contemporary designs that will likely leave most Read more...
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Vintage antiques & collectibles Routinely topping the “Best of Las Vegas” lists for Antique stores in the city, the Charleston Antique Mall is essentially a massive flea market. But what a flea market! There are stalls upon stalls of vintage treasures including retro fashion, furniture, art, ceramics, jewelry, glassware; the list goes on. Vendors are friendly and some have awesome Read more...
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West coast modernist houses Following the completion of the Lions Gate Bridge by Monsarrat & Pratley in 1937 – which linked Vancouver to the North Shore – residential construction in the Capilano Highlands and surrounding environs began in earnest and continued through the 1950s and 60s when the area saw a boom in West Coast modern post & beam and ranch Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Within a few blocks of the magnificent Hawaii State Capital building are a handful of other mid-century modern structures that are magnificent in their own right. Listed in no particular order with corresponding photos above… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Hawaii State Capital Building (415 South Beretania St.) – Designed by Belt, Lemmon & Lo, with John Carl Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Designed by CBK Van Norman in 1955, the Burrard Building was the first office high rise to go up in downtown Vancouver using new post-war modernist design and building techniques… at least on its trendy Miesian exterior. The interior holds a more traditional, less open floor plan, which the B.C. Electric/Hydro building improved upon when it went up the following Read more...
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Mid-century Danish Modern If you like Scandinavian mid-century modern then you’ll definitely want to visit By Design Modern, Western Canada’s largest purveyor of vintage Danish Modern furniture. Beautifully restored sofas, tables, chairs, cabinets, desks and more by prolific and award winning designers like Arne Jacobsen, Jens Risom and Finn Juhl are all personally sourced in Denmark on regular buying trips so you know what Read more...