On the Banks: A Googie Playground

Upon reviewing "Revisiting Cincinnati Stadia", I noticed one concept absent from the list:

Riverfront Development Proposal (1961).

While the rendering is interesting for its stadium proposal, the whole concept for redevelopment of the riverfront is what sparks my interest: a glorious transformation into a mid-modern Space Age wonderland.

Of course, almost every development proposal for the riverfront prior to mid-1960 seems to have a lone stadium west of the Suspension Bridge, but this one truly reflects the unique style of the era - an oval lipped baseball stadium with Zig-Zag roofline:

Unless underground, the parking is notoriously absent here, except for the small lot to the west tied to the boxy International-Style Convention and Exhibition Center.

Then to the east, an interesting barrel-roofed structure sitting amongst the trees:

While those tall apartment towers standing over the park area remind me of a miniature Central Park, perhaps the Atomic-esque building is futuristic lodge for an urban Nature Center? Nope, it actually was planned for a historic memorial.  And what's that to the right: a water tower, or a rare rendering of the unbuilt "Symbolon"?

Anyway, on to the most interesting part of this conceptual plan, and it stands front and center of the whole development.  A solid anchor of this promising utopia on the banks of the Ohio...

Connected to a stilted boardwalk, holding two side-by-side sine wave-roofed structures, overlooking a grand riverside harbor, is the heart and soul of this vision:

Frisch's Mainliner #2 Restaurant, Cincinnati, Ohio (1944).

Read more about this building here and see the plans here.

Another view (larger).

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a double-wide Frisch's mega-restaurant.

Put on your Sunday best for this ultra-modern populuxe experience, where you'll be entrenched with mounds of powdered eggs and link sausage under a massive hyperbolic paraboloid! Take a look around:

Source: Cincinnati Views.

With the massive Banks district currently under construction, and the city's progressive step in offering a form of crowdsourcing relating to this and other development (e.g. town hall debates, nomenclature polls, everyman architectural submissions), the future is lapping the banks of Ohio vigorously.

This also sparks interest into the historical concepts of what might have been on the riverfront, and prognostication of what tomorrow holds. And so, this starts yet another series on Cincinnati Revisited: On the Banks.

• Of course, Frisch's was not to be front and center of this 1961 proposal, but the illustration does reference two of Woodie Garber's hyperbolic paraboloid structures, exactly as designed for his Frisch's Mainliner Restaurant that actually was constructed in Cincinnati.  More about Woodie Garber here.

• The "Symbolon", referenced in the rendering detail with the barrel-roofed structure, was to be a massive Cincinnati Gateway Monument. The 1961 construction of Eero Saarinen's St. Louis Gateway Arch became the impetus for a competition held by the Cincinnatus Association, which drew 62 entries, but no winner - thus, no structure was built.

• Check out Cincinnati Modernation's scavenger hunt for Zig Zag roofs in Cincinnati.

• The stadium illustrated in this 1961 Riverfront Development Proposal was added to the "Revisiting Cincinnati Stadia" post.

Regional Report: Cincinnati

"Regional Report: Cincinnati" by Ellen Brown, Good Food Magazine (September 1986).

In our last post we traveled to 1976 - touring Cincinnati's lively citizenry, urbane culture, and of course, culinary leanings.

Today we'll take a shorter visit through town, a decade later.  The midwest in a clash between 19th-century footings and 80's opulence - maintaining both "grazing yuppies" and "Teutonic tradition" - as you'll see in this scant review on Cincinnati flavors for Good Food Magazine.

There are some interesting quotes that seem to transcend the ages...

"Decades have passed and skyscrapers have transformed the skyline, yet Cincinnati has not only weathered the change but thrived on it, with a unique blend of 19th-century architecture, Southern graciousness, and a magnificent natural setting on the banks of the Ohio River."

"...Further proof of the city's strong German heritage can be found any Saturday morning in the open-air Findlay Market, built in 1852. BMWs and Mercedes vie for parking spots with pickup trucks, and everyone searches for bargains on produce, farm-fresh eggs, and more."

...and a few that don't:

"Grazing yuppies love The Diner of Sycamore (...) and its homemade potato chips."

"...But most Cincinnatians don't care if every corner of other cities boasts a sushi bar.  That's too trendy.  What they look for is consistency and food as solid as a German burgher."

Cincinnati, My Kind of Town

As we all know, Cincinnati is in the middle of a renaissance - neighborhoods are being rebuilt, arts scenes are vibrant, sports fans are cheering, home prices are fair, healthy transportation initiatives are on the right track, and overall livability seems at an all time high. The boisterous progressive attitudes here are only shadowed by the great things still to come.

There seems no end to this rolling stone that is Cincinnati.

And with this rejuvenation has come international praise, the most recent of which UrbanCincy reflects upon, which sparked today's post on the city's historical glow.

Here's a visit to the city of my youth - during the last great city expansion (1970s-1980s) - from May 1976 Ford Times article "Cincinnati, My Kind of Town".  An issue probably more famous for Charley Harper's cover illustration:

Like most articles being produced about the city's developments today, this Ford Times article presents the city as kind of a niche locale with a surprisingly vibrant scene - in addition to the more notable sports' camps - and seems to miss on some of what us locals might consider crucial to the personality of Cincinnati.  Nevertheless, it's media attention, and positive.

Here are some of the more descriptive passages from Ford Times author Nicholas J. Bush:  (Delve into larger photos and read more of the article by clicking on the images below, or perusing the full article (link at end of post).)

"...I snap my mind to attention with pleasant thoughts about a city that would make Henry David Thoreau pack his bags and head back to town."

"...the city has a pleasant personality. It's evident at noontime on Fountain Square where on sunny days businessmen and women and families munch double-dip ice cream cones and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment scheduled..."

"For the life of me I find it hard to explain why the residents aren't terribly fat."

"Preparing your own food for an outing in Cincinnati is truly hauling coals to Newcastle - inferior coals, at that."

"When asked to rate Cincinnati chili, Texans are likely to turn red in the face and, if ladies are present, sputter something about 'that tendermouth slush.'  What do they know? The cognoscenti among chili lovers agree: Cincinnati chili is the hautest of haute cuisine."

 

"A delightful town. Wonderful people. If you have the chance, drop by. It will do wonders for you."

• Read the complete 1976 Ford Times article "Cincinnati, My Kind of Town".

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