A fireplace in a gas station – imagine getting a permit to build something like that today. But that is exactly what legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright thought up for a gas station he designed more than half a century ago, and that was exactly what was built in the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum in Buffalo, New York, for public viewing.
The gas station was intended for creation in Buffalo at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Cherry Street, Architizer reports. From the two gas stations Wright designed, only the one in Cloquet, Minnesota was built, also posthumously in 1965.
Check out this special report from Buffalo local news station WIVBTV.
The gas station embodies American modernism as coined by Wright, and is not short of the early 20th century enthusiasm for cars. The station’s architecture is anchored by a large set of stairs that lead to a second-story observation room for customers to wait as their vehicles are serviced. It has a fireplace, restrooms, a copper roof ad two 45-foot poles that Wright referred to as totems.
For more information, visit the museum’s official website.
Related Stories
Building Team | Nov 1, 2022
Nonresidential construction spending increases slightly in September, says ABC
National nonresidential construction spending was up by 0.5% in September, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
40 Under 40 | Nov 1, 2022
40 Under 40 class of 2022 winners: Meet the architects
Of the up-and-coming AEC professionals to be named 40 Under 40 class of 2022 winners by the editors of Building Design+Construction, 22 make their living in the architecture profession.
K-12 Schools | Nov 1, 2022
Safety is the abiding design priority for K-12 schools
With some exceptions, architecture, engineering, and construction firms say renovations and adaptive reuse make up the bulk of their work in the K-12 schools sector.
| Nov 1, 2022
Updated Florida building codes helped newer homes withstand Hurricane Ian
Newer homes seemed to fare much better than older structures during Hurricane Ian, suggesting that updated Florida building codes made a difference.
Wood | Nov 1, 2022
A European manufacturer says its engineered wood products can store carbon for decades
Metsä Wood, a Finland-based manufacturer of engineered wood products, says its sustainable, material-efficient products can store carbon for decades, helping to combat climate change.
Data Centers | Oct 31, 2022
Data center construction facing record-breaking inflation, delays
Data center construction projects face record-breaking inflation amid delays to materials deliveries and competition for skilled labor, according to research from global professional services company Turner & Townsend.
School Construction | Oct 31, 2022
Claremont McKenna College science center will foster integrated disciplinary research
The design of the Robert Day Sciences Center at Claremont McKenna College will support “a powerful, multi-disciplinary, computational approach to the grand socio-scientific challenges and opportunities of our time—gene, brain, and climate,” says Hiram E. Chodosh, college president.
Energy Efficient Roofing | Oct 28, 2022
Rooftop mini turbines can pair with solar panels
A new type of wind turbine can pair well on roofs with solar panels, offering a double source of green energy generation for buildings.
Building Team | Oct 27, 2022
Who are you? Four archetypes shaping workspaces
The new lifestyle of work requires new thinking about the locations where people work, what their workflow looks like, and how they are performing their best work.
Codes and Standards | Oct 27, 2022
Florida’s Surfside-inspired safety law puts pressure on condo associations
A Florida law intended to prevent tragedies like the Surfside condominium collapse will place a huge financial burden on condo associations and strain architecture and engineering resources in the state.
