Modernist Albuquerque 2011.02.28 - Along Route 66

So these are the various photos I took earlier this year in Albuquerque - most of these are along Route 66. I'm saving the images of the wonderful Pueblo-Deco KiMo Theater for another post - it's well deserving of being spot-lighted on its own.

First shot is a sunset - just to give you an idea of the general setting - the city sits nestled along one side of the Sandia mountains and is mostly flat or shallow rolling hills; desert with cedars, sage and other scrub. There are other hills and ranges that can be seen in the distance.

I took this shot of a long, tall decorative screen-wall near downtown. You just don't see this type of construction any more.

I'm still downtown with this series of images - mostly old theaters, public buildings and the like. The KiMo is also located on that end. The opposite end of Route 66 has Nob Hill and is close to the college.

Crossroads Motel

Here are some shots of the El Rel Theater - looks to be used for live performances now.

And here's a taste of the KiMo Theater up the street

This is an old Kress building - I like that the original building sign was retained.

As you start traveling towards Nob Hill you first see this old car dealership that has been converted to a restaurant - there are Phillips 66 pumps evident (not sure if those were original or brought in).

I spotted this Deco condo which was probably originally a hotel.

Most of the architecture that's worth seeing along the Route is Deco.

And then there's this really wonderful Hiway House Motel - the building itself is rather boring but the neon sign is really fantastic.

And here are some random details I spotted that look interesting enough to photograph.

There's also a small theater with some interesting Asian Cinema - the Guild.

And finally one of my favorites - an original barrel-roofed Arby's that's been converted into a Starbucks - I like that a new Arby's has been built right-alongside - it provides some continuity.

My apologies for the quality of many of these photos - they were taking from the sidewalk and the sun was rather intense (it was also getting towards the evening so so the lighting is both stark and angled with deep shadows). I hope you enjoyed my little tour.

-- John

Modernism in Albuquerque 2011

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog and I need to get back into the habit. I recently took a trip out to Albuquerque and will be posting images of the various buildings I encountered along Route 66 - wait til you see the KiMo theater! Next post soon!

-- John

Highway Rest Area I16 taken 2007.11.02

I used to work for a record label which involved a lot of travel - so I'm more than familiar with Highway rest stops - one thing that often gets overlooked is the architecture - often these rest areas were built post war and fit right into the mid-century modern period. Alas many of the classic stops have been bulldozed and replaced with post-modern ugliness or pasted over with yucco, but there are still a few gems around. I've always liked these cantilevered, butterfly concrete picnic areas shade-providers (can't really call them umbrellas - there's probably a good term for them but at least mine describes their function pretty well).

I spotted these on the way to Beaufort SC for the Auldbrass tour (more on that in another post). These were at about the half-way point between Macon and Savannah. At one time these were very ubiquitous, now only about a third of the rest stops in the south still have them - they're probably too expensive to upkeep once the weather starts tearing down the concrete. The building itself was probably built late-70's-ish and has a mansard roof, with ceilings in the bathrooms that go to the high-roofline (windows up there but blocked off with blinds, probably due to the intense heat of the summer son). The building was rather unspectacular so I passed at taking some snaps.

There are still some rather wonderful structures on I24 from Chattanooga to Nashville (right at Nickajack Lake) that I hope to shoot during my next visit northward - besides the interesting structures, the setting on the lake is simply gorgeous.


-- John