Archinect - News

Carry out: world's first Taco Bell is being rescued from demolition

2015-11-19T17:47:00-05:00

When executives at Taco Bell found out that the Downey building that housed their first restaurant was at risk of being demolished, they ordered the store “to go.” The birthplace of the Mexican fast food chain, located on Firestone Boulevard, is up on rails and ready to roll. Founder Glen Bell built the mission style building in 1962 and on Thursday night at 10:30, store “Numero Uno” will begin the 45-mile ride to company headquarters in Irvine.

The original Taco Bell was initially threatened with demolition back in January. For all the best coverage of food-related design, do check out:

• Upstarts: Design, Bitches

• A Journey from Architecture and Design to Gourmet Dog Food

• How architects are redesigning schools that encourage kids to eat healthier

The sky is falling! Weekly News Round-Up for January 12, 2015

2015-01-19T18:05:00-05:00

Friday, January 16:

Architecture for Humanity to shut down: The San Francisco HQ has laid off all employees and will file for bankruptcy, however it's unclear how this will affect operations of the many national/international AfH outposts that function through volunteers.
Work at Manhattan's 432 Park Ave tower ordered to stop after pipe falls from 81st floor: The latest in a recent series of similar incidents, including a bolt falling from London's cheesegrater, falling art in Mons, the 2015 European Capital of Culture, and concrete panels dropping from Zaha Hadid's library in Vienna.

Thursday, January 15:

Norm's Coffee Shop, an LA Googie icon, is temporarily saved from demolition: Along with the first Taco Bell being in peril of demolition, part of southern California's architectural heritage is being considered.

Wednesday, January 14:

Jean Nouvel boycotts opening of his Philharmonie de Paris: Despite the restaurant and exhibition space not being fully complete, Nouvel's Philharmonie hel...

Moments in Fast Food Urbanism: First Taco Bell may be demolished

2015-01-15T19:20:00-05:00

The building that housed the world’s first Taco Bell is under “imminent threat of demolition,” according to the Downey Conservancy [...] Although Downey is more famously recognized as the site of the oldest operating location for [McDonald's], it is Taco Bell that built its very first location within the city. [...] “The [Conservancy] recognizes that the building’s current location may not be the best for its future and, as such, is also looking at opportunities to relocate"

Why does this matter? Not because Taco Bell is inherently newsworthy, but because fast food spots are arguably Downey's local urbanism icons. The city in southeast Los Angeles County is known for its Googie fast-food joints, historic McDonald's and drive-ins (as well as the birthplace of the Apollo space program) – so the Taco Bell is in good company. While not as iconic as a Googie structure, the Taco Bell is still emblematic of Downey's postwar California urban planning, awash in asphalt oceans where cars were king. Perhaps the chain's success in peddling drive-in fast food around the world may actually have perpetuated that kind of urbanism.

The building is currently vacant, leading Downey Conservancy to take up the preservation case, planning to possibly relocate it to “another site within the city”. Taco Bell has even joined the cause, despite not even being the building’s most recent tenant, with the hashtag #SaveTacoBell. I wonder if Alexandra Lange is tracking this.

Meanwhile,...