| Historic Name: |
Sambo's Restaurant |
Common Name: |
The Aurora Restaurant |
| Style: |
Modern - Populuxe/Googie |
Neighborhood: |
Aurora-Licton |
| Built By: |
Ron Bergquist |
Year Built: |
1964 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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This restaurant is perhaps Seattle's best example of "googie" architecture, a flamboyant style that developed in Southern California during the 1950s and 60s. The style got its name from the Googie coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard, designed in 1949 by innovative architect John Lautner. These buildings featured modern forms and materials such as cast concrete and plastic. Characteristics seen here include an abstract upswept roof that looks like it might take flight, large plate glass windows and the use of natural stone at the entry. The style was most commonly seen in motels and coffee shops such as this one, which were competing for the attention of people in their cars.
The building was constructed in 1964 by Sambo's, a restaurant chain based in Santa Barbara, California. A Santa Barbara architect, Ron Bergquist, designed the building. The ellipses along the front roofline originally had the letters SAMBOS. After the chain closed, the restaurant was taken over by a local owner, who has continued to operate it as a restaurant.
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| Appearance |
| This restaurant is a low concrete-and-glass box topped by a massive roof with an asymmetrical vee shape. The front (west) elevation is primarily large plate glass display windows with wood sash set in metal frames. An outdoor eating area in front is sheltered by the roof overhang, with tables attached to the building. On the Aurora Avenue elevation, the edge of the roof is adorned with six large ellipses; they are now blank but once had the word SAMBOS in very large letters.
The entry is at the northwest, with a glass-enclosed vestibule and original steel-and-glass doors with mosaic tile handles. The entry is sheltered on the east side by a wall of natural stone, typical of Southern California architecture. The entire north side is plate glass, but it is screened from the parking lot by a modernistic concrete wall composed of X's and O's--similar to a tic-tac-toe game.
The south elevation has a concrete planter that extends across the entire front half of the elevation. At the rear is an enclosed service area made of CMU; this may have been an addition. |
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