Phew! After some late nights our CARI site is finally up! While it's still a work-in-progress, we've compiled quite a bit of our research over the past few years in here!
I've got some fun ideas for the future, eg. each aesthetic page themed in its respective style
It's official! Our CARI website is finally up & open to explore!
After years of hard work by our dedicated team, we've created this platform to share our research into the ever-expanding landscape of 1970s-present consumer design.
I've gone down a bizarre rabbit hole of searching for late 2000s frozen yogurt shop chairs - they're all part of that weird Frutiger Aero eco-parametric style
Odd find in Domus Magazine: McDonaldβs HQ in Chicago used to have a βmeditation chamberβ in 1970. It had vinyl-suede paneled walls, βpetalβ doors, mood music, a heated, 700-gallon waterbed, atmospheric lighting, and an βalpha-pacer(??)β to stimulate creative brainwaves
The Hanna-Barbera store in Los Angeles (1991), a great example of what we've termed 'Wonka Pomo', that wacky 90s kids aesthetic merging 50s googie kitsch, comic tropes & exaggeration, bright colors, and a touch of Memphis playfulness.
In 1994, inspired by the theme restaurant boom, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg founded 'Dive!', an undersea-submarine themed restaurant. (3) locations were opened in LA (Century City), Las Vegas, and Barcelona, with all closing by 1999. (1/X)
Doing research on what I've been calling the 'contempo-eclectic' style, popular in the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, especially in mid-to-upper tier home design. Interiors with a random assortment of 1980s trends like abstract art, Memphis, proto-GVC, and Deco revival.
Microsoft/Windows β95 promo exhibition, London (1995) - Great example of the mid 90s βCyber/Gen-X Corporateβ style.
Designed by Innervisions Interiors and Exhibitions Ltd.
Blockbuster prototype media store - Fitch Inc. (1995)
With the neon-edged plastics, video screens, and exaggerated colorful forms, we've placed this between the contemporaneous Cyber-Corporate and Wonka Pomo aesthetics.
I never get tired of watching this surreal Claritin commercial from 1996, one that skirted the existing FDA rules for drug advertising by never specifically to what it was for. Some combo of David Lynch fever dream + mid 90s CGI surreality + Windows XP background utopia
Found some more images & information on the Blockbuster Games concept; and it's companion store (in the next post), Blockbuster Music, in 'Stores of the Year 9' (1995)
It was located in Jacksonville, FL; designed by Fitch Inc. in 1994.
The very surreal apartment of Austrian/Brazilian designer Hans Donner (year unknown). Found in a 1996 monograph book; I'm surprised there is little record online. I believe he's mainly known for his work with the Rede Globo television network.
Had no idea Torrid used to be such a cool & wild looking store - this was their 1st location, in the Brea Mall in Brea, CA (opened April 18th, 2001)
Sorta edgy whimsigothic vibes, a cash wrap with dragon heads, a Moroccan-ish facade, and that very 00s heart+flames mosaic tile
Digital illustrations by artist 'K. Dava'. Clients from top left, clockwise: Sony Walkman, Kyoei Mutual Fire and Marine Insurance, NEC, and International Scientific.
Scanned from 'Digital Graphics' by Hiroe Takahashi (1994)
Found a feature on one of my favorite 1980s art object/toys, the ZoLO playsculpture. Designed by the graphic design duo of Sandra Higashi & Byron Glaser, it ended up becoming a huge hit upon release in 1986, showing up in MoMA gift shop & FAO Schwarz.
From How Magazine (1989)
Just learned of another in the long line of 90's failed concepts: 'Blockbuster Block Party', a city-block sized 'indoor entertainment complex' for adults opened in two test markets (Indianapolis & Albuquerque) in 1994. It was divided into five distinct zones:
This pediatric hospital is a great example of the 'Memphis Jr.' style popular in the late 80s-early 90s. Love the bright colors, fiber-optic ceiling that shifts with the day outside, and spherical aquarium.
St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, Pediatric Unit - by LightSpaces (1996)
Found some images of this surreal space, Lakeline Mall in Austin TX, in a book from 1997
The concept was based on Austin's rule of only allowing buildings in certain 'view corridors' to be higher than the State Capitol building. So the facades are 'bent' as they reach to the sky
The 'Kitsch Kitchen' designed by British TV personality & designer, Anne McKevitt. Not sure what I'd call the style, it's like a mix of 1950s-60s kitsch, some Y2K pieces by Inflate & Stefano Giovannoni, and the 'Wacky PoMo' aesthetic. (1/2)
Scanned from 'House Sensation' (1998)
F.A.O. Schwarz toy store & F.A.O. Schweetz candy shop in The Forum Shops at Caesarβs Palace (1997-2010)(1/2)
Designed by J. Newbold & Associates
Scanned from βDesigning Entrances for Retail and Restaurant Spacesβ by Nayana Currimbhoy (1999)
Love finding 80s interiors based on odd client concepts: (1/2)
βThe clientβs only request was that their home should feel like a desert tent, and that itβs colors should be inspired by the wifeβs favorite nail polish - a brilliant shade of desert plum.β
By Edward C. Turrentine
Various character designs, βTanukichi 2000β² graphic and Pachinko machine
By Framegraphics of Japan, they also designed Super Milk Chan
Scanned from Issue 281 of IDEA Magazine (July 2000)
Wizardz Magic Club and Dinner Theater at Universal Studios Hollywood Citywalk (1993-2002) - Hirata Architects (1/3)
Scanned from βRetail Image & Graphic Identityβ (1995)
Recently really interested in this 'missing link' aesthetic between the more strictly 'ultramodern' interiors of the 1960s-early 1970s, and the indulgent, retro-referential 'Deco-Luxe' Art Deco revival interior style. I've been calling it 'Geo-Glam' (Geometric-Glamorous)
Thread: Back in 2019, found that the Seattle library has a huge archive of HOW Magazine, which covered graphic design back in the 90s. It's a great insight into how varied the design landscape was at the time.
The works below are by Studio MD, one of my all-time favorite firms.
There was a strange wave of corporate cyber-cubist/surrealist-collage imagery in the 1990s, like these artworks by one of my favorite designers, Glenn Mitsui (~mid 1990s)
McDonalds at A&S Plaza - Designed by Silver & Ziskind/Mount (date unknown)
Scanned from Dining Design: Informal Restaurant Design by PBC International (1993)
Nickelodeon Shop inside Blockbuster Video (1996)
This was a proof-of-concept installed in one Blockbuster store, I wonder if there were ever any others?
Features: whoopee-cushion bench, interactive terminals for kids to give feedback on nick programming
Designed by Fitch Inc.
More of the 'Wacky PoMo' cartoonish 1990's design style; the Nickelodeon 'Nicktoons' animation studio in Burbank, CA (late 1990s)
Designed by AREA Architects (1/2)
Found a book of some of the most excessive 2000s McMansion interiors I've seen, what style even is this? (1/X)
'You Too Deserve Beautiful Rooms' by Perla Lichi (2005)
Planet Hollywood - Disney World, Orlando (Opened Oct. 1994) (1/3)
This must've been a trip when it opened, looks like total sensory overload -- unfortunately they took the 'remove theming & replace with screens' route with a remodel in 2017.
Designed by David Rockwell
Surprised to see this wacky colorful house for Disney executive Larry Wilks in the mainly beige mid-1990s. Designed by the team of Lory Johansson & June Scott
Scanned from Architectural Digest (Dec. 1996)
Back in the 80s-90s when magazines were the main source on what was going on in the design world, one of the leaders, Print Magazine, would publish their 'Regional Design Annual'. Each year was like 300 pages long, and documented the shifting American design landscape.
Forgotten Retail: Cybersmith (1995-1999)
One of those early internet/cafe retail experiments that popped up in the first web gold rush years, they had four locations (mainly in Mass.) before closing in 1999. (1/2)
The Crash Bandicoot 2 area of Sony's Playstation exhibit at E3 1997, modeled after the game's warp rooms - by Thinc Design
Scanned from 'Contemporary Exhibit Design' by Martin Pegler (2001)
Short-lived retail: The Viacom Entertainment Store
In 1997, Viacom, seeing the success of themed retail from Disney & Warner Bros., decided to open a 30,000sf prototype store at 600 Michigan Ave in Chicago. It featured 5 sections, for each property they owned at the time: (1/X)
Scans from the βBloomingdaleβs Book of Home Decoratingβ by Barbara DβArcy (1973) (Pt. 1)
Barbara DβArcy was one of the most well-known visual merchandisers of the 20th century, creating these room displays for the Bloomingdaleβs department store between 1958-1973.
My favorite 1980's retail design, Goldi Shoes in Chicago. A store split down the middle, combining two of the most popular architectural trends at the time: wild & colorful Memphis with PoMo Faux Ruins/Neoclassical.
Thanks to Kubala-Washatko Architects for sending these over!
Had totally forgotten about this great example of 1990s 'Decoplex' style; when the multiplex theatre boom led to a resurgence of Art Deco motifs harkening back to the 'movie palace' 1920s glory days.
'National Amusements Policy Trailer' (1998) - credit to SicCoyote on YouTube
This is more of a public service post for Disney fans, but I found images of the interior environment for 'The Fireworks Factory' restaurant at Pleasure Island, which don't seem to exist online otherwise.
I do love the 'PoMo Faux Ruins + Factory PoMo' aesthetic hybrid though
Found an odd little lost piece of media, 'UnZip' by IPC Magazine, feat. content from New Scientist, Vox, and NME (1995). For a few years in the mid 90s, it seemed like the future of magazines were interactive CD-ROMs with a surreal melange of various then-contemporary aesthetics.
Finally found the 'Frasurbane' McDonalds, a surprisingly sophisticated design located in 3 Nationwide Plaza, Columbus OH (year unknown)
Designed by Bohm-NBBJ Architects
The Art Deco interior design revival in the 1980s led to some incredible interiors, like this renovation to a home in Toluca Lake, CA. Apparently it was originally built for Walt Disney in the 1930s, however I can't find any mention online.
That Egyptian-themed disco though π―
recently been looking into this 'colorful cutout' / new wave tropical style that emerged in the mid 1980s. It feels like a predecessor to the later Global Village Coffeehouse earthy-playful aesthetic of the 90s
Found the magazine that all doctors/dentists offices got their artwork from in the 80s/90s
Scanned from Decor: The Magazine of Fine & Decorative Arts (July-Dec 1988) -- Let me know if you'd like to see more since I have 300+ more scans.
In the realm of 90s kids edutainment retail, I don't see much mention (or any images at all) of this ambitious venture: 'Big Future', a 13,000sf play center/edu-tech extravaganza opened in 1994 in Town & Country, MO outside St. Louis.
The intent was to "restore the fantasy and glamour of golden age theatres", which in the 90s meant GVC clip art pasted on the walls, pop art oversized objects, loud colors & graphics, and floating movie memorabilia
Back in the 90's-early 00's, each year the Retail Reporting Corporation would put out a 'Point of Purchase Design Annual' book, collecting the best of those displays you'd see in stores, restaurants, etc. A great reference for various trends and products from the era.
Just received another Shotenkenchiku book, documenting various Japanese facades from 1990-1996. Endlessly amazed at the wildly expressive 'bubble economy' era architecture, though some of these would be at the tail-end of that period.
This apartment interior from 1998 has such an odd vibe, like I have vague memories of spending time in places that looked like this. Also it's a weird mishmash of both design trends that were on their way out (glass block), and still hip (stylized flames, industrial touches).
I love how bonkers 90s office interiors could be: palm trees, trophy-holding face reliefs, gears, giant pumice rock sculptures
Offices of Harris Drury Cohen Advertising (1997) - Scanned from Corporate Interiors 2 (1998)
Exhibition spaces created in the late 80s by toymaker Fisher-Price to showcase various lines. Is this still a thing in the product/toy world? Never heard of most of these
1. Precious Places dollhouses
2. Fun Starters educational toys
3. Smooshees ?
4. Pocket Rockers
Fire + Ice restaurant interiors from various Boston-area locations, designed by Connor Architecture (~1998-2001)
Some wild, visual overload Memphis Jr/Wacky PoMo-hybrid style going on here
The Endangered Species Store - Forum Shops, Las Vegas (1993) - Designed by Brand + Allen (1/2)
Great example of the 90s 'Rainforest Chic' look, as coined by
@KaiserBeamz
Scanned from 'Stores of the Year 9' (1995)
Found this elaborately-themed defunct 'ABCO Desert Market' store in Phoenix; an example of the 80s-90s 'Pastel Southwestern'/Adobe-revival style omnipresent in that region.
Scanned from 'Markets, Supermarkets, and Hypermarkets 2' by Martin Pegler (1992)
'Mars 2112' - Times Square, NYC (1998-2012) By Daroff Design (Part 1/2)
Restaurant themed around the concept of a Mars colony in 2112. Visitors boarded a UFO simulator ride, taking them to the three-story 'Crystal Crater' dining area, 'Mars Bar', and 'Space Arcade'.
I haven't been to a frozen yogurt place in years, so I'm not sure if they still have that look, but it still confounds me how cohesive the style was --
Img. 2 deserves a special mention since it's a hybrid with the 'Modern Baroque' style I've been investigating concurrently
Electronics Boutique (later EB Games) - Crossgates Mall - Albany, NY (1986)
Prototype designed by Planned Expansion Group, Inc.
Scanned from 'The Best of Store Designs 2β² (1987)
Short Disco Thread: Bondβs International Disco - Times Square, NYC (1980-1983)
From one of my favorite books covering the interiors of that 1970s 'sexual revolution' age of excess & hedonism
Designed by Shelton Stortz & Mendel
From βSensuous Spacesβ by Sivon Reznikoff (1983)
Had no idea that McDonald's tried to sell kids clothing in the late 1980's. Here's an image of one of their 'McKids' stores (1988); seems they had a total of 47 before closing in 1991. This store is mainly in the 'Memphis Jr.' style, with a touch of Gehry deconstructivism.
As promised (with a bit of a delay), a tour of one of the most notoriously extravagant mansions ever built, Dean Gardens!
All images are scanned from the book, 'Dean Gardens: Legacy of Vision' ('93), released in conjunction with the completion of the home in 1992.
Some finds from 2002 & 2003 issues of VM+SD, a magazine dedicated to visual merchandising & store design
Pokemon flagship store - Rockefeller Plaza (2001) - designed by The Phillips Group - included the full article in image 4
This whimsical website for The Hahn Company, a shopping center developer - Tracy Sabin (1995) -- From that skeuomorphic early web era when designers were trying to make users feel comfortable with the new format.
Scanned from 'Cyber Design: Illustration' (1996)
I've been searching for this interior for years, but can never find the original poster or even the name of the restaurant. It's a common one on the 'vaporwave/80s a e s t h e t i c' side of the internet, but reverse image search barely pulls up anything.
Found this wild 'starship' plane interior for businessman Adnan Khashoggi, designed to resemble
a Star Wars set. The buttons & switches have audio feedback, there's fibre optic lights embedded in the carpet, and holograms throughout
Built in 1985, designed by Michael Reese
Thread: Wanted to share some recent research explorations we've been undertaking at CARI, very much a WIP --
Horror-Grunge: 90s-00s style combining Corporate Grunge graphic design, typography, and photoshop 'grungy' effects combined with various horror motifs and color schemes.
Pinafini restaurant - Beverly Center, Los Angeles, CA (April 1985-88)
Designed in the hybrid of High-Tech (gridded truss ceilings & chairs), Deco-Luxe (glass block), and that geometric, Superstudio-ish grid pattern motif.
Scanned from 'Selected American Restaurants - 1' (1992)
Thread: This mid 90s gooey promo display for Converse 'T.O.U.C.H. EFX' sneakers reminded me of an aesthetic we've been studying at CARI, 'Neon Ooze' π
Finding this FAO Schwarz in The Mall at Chestnut Hill reminded me how much I miss the exuberant era of kid's/toy store design. Touches of Memphis Jr. & Preschool Pop styles. - Closed '03
Designed by Newbold/Schkufza Design Assoc.
Scanned from 'Stores of the Year 7' (1994)
A fully-curated experience, upon entering through the 'hatch door' entry, guests are greeted by a uniform-clad 'sailor', guiding them to their seats; adjacent to either a porthole window with underwater aquarium or view of the massive multi-screen virtual 'sea window'. (2/X)
#1
: California Beach Rock 'N Sushi - Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA - Designed by Ted Tokio Tanaka
I had posted some images of this one before, though I had no idea it had an 'indoor beach' with prop sharks, TVs, and painted murals!
Dr. Jeekhan's Game Center, Tokyo - designed by Syd Mead(!) & Dyflex Creation Inc. (1990) (1/2)
This multilevel βmini urban theme park' is located in a love hotel quarter of Shibuya, a hip area of Tokyo youth culture.
From 'Amusement Facilities - Shop Design Series' (1993)
Unagidani Childrenβs Museum - Higashi-shinsaibashi, Osaka, JP (Oct. 1989 - demo. 2007)(1/2)
Continually amazed at the experimentation found in Japanese boom-era architecture. Designed by Hiroyuki Wakabayashi; it held 22 stores for childrenβs items.
Sweet Things candy store - Claypool Center, Indianapolis - Ballinger Design Associates
"To the left of the entry are neon-lit floor-to-ceiling lucite tubes designed to hold and dispense assorted jelly beans"
Bright Child activity centre - Santa Monica, CA (1998)
One of my earliest memories is of a brightly-colored 'activity centre' just like this, they had such a boom in the 90s. Mainly 'Wacky PoMo', w/ some touches of the 'Decon-dustrial' style also popular at the time. (1/2)
'Contempo-Eclectic'-style residence in the Hollywood Hills for John Kalodner, designed by Goodman/Charlton
Scanned from 'California Interiors' by Jill Cole (1991)
'Fantasy Sequence' studio apt/screening room by Mario Lo Cicero. The late 1970s - early 80s were a golden age for extravagant, dreamlike, discotheque-style interiors. This one I had to track down from the era of 'no credit Tumblr images'.
Scanned from 'Media Design' (1984)
Maha Restaurant - Designed by Yoshinori Kikuchi - Japan (1989) (1/2)
'Space base'-themed restaurant; with the alien symbols/logo, Voyager humans drawing, and mechanical-looking patterned concrete tubes. I can't find any more information or exact location though.
'Go Overboard!' gift shop at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL (May 1998)
Designed in the 'Utopian Scholastic' education-oriented aesthetic. Oversized realistic animal sculptures, serif-font quotations from famous authors, and especially the merchandise!
By Schwartz Architects
I'm particularly impressed by the Las Vegas location's exterior, creating the impression of 'ship bursting through the sea' using various architectural techniques at their disposal; along with the attention to detail in the interior environments.
'Illusionz' - Issaquah, WA (2000-07) - designed by Callison Architecture (1/2)
"... An entertainment environment that incorporates the wonder and theatrics of magic in an atmosphere that entices the whole family."
Scanned from 'Stores & Retail Spaces 4' (2002)
Marvel Mania restaurant - Universal Studios CityWalk, CA (1998-1999) (1/3)
Developed by Robert Earl (also behind Planet Hollywood), and designed by the legendary Rockwell Group.
The very obscure & forgotten βGodzillaβs Oriental Food To Goβ restaurant in Seattle, WA (1988? - closed 19??), located at 611 E Eastlake Ave E, Seattle WA.
I assume this was sued into oblivion right after opening, I canβt find a single record anywhere of its existence.
Blockbuster Music was also designed by Fitch Inc., and located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (1994)
"The store is designed to have clearly differentiated sections for various types of music ranging from classicalβwith its own room and sitting areaβto country."