Chicago's 1977 Arby's, designed by Stanley Tigerman, was more than just a quirky fast-food joint - it was an architectural masterpiece that once stood out on Chicago Avenue between State Street and Michigan Avenue. The restaurant's unique postmodern design featured a white, porcelain enamel facade with curved interior spaces, glass floors to allow customers to see employees at work, and a wood-paneled dining area.
Stanley Tigerman, the celebrated architect behind this colorful building, had a flair for bold, vibrant colors in his designs, as evident in the Illinois Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. He wanted his Arby's design to be "fun" and to stand out from its surroundings, with brightly colored exposed ductwork and piping that bent and twisted throughout.
When the restaurant closed in the early 1990s, it was demolished and redeveloped into new spaces, leaving behind a piece of architectural history. Today, the former Arby's has almost cult status among architecture enthusiasts, who appreciate its unique blend of practicality and surrealism, as well as its clear graphic visual language that brought together high and low elements.
Margaret McCurry, Tigerman's late wife, recalled that her husband designed the building to be "lively" and fun, with a mechanical component that was given colors. The Arby's earned a Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects for its innovative design at the time.
Chicago writer, editor, and architect Iker Gil added that seeing the building after dark revealed its unique color scheme through colorful ductwork, track lighting, and piping. This display effectively conveyed to customers how their meal was prepared - "the sausage, or roast beef" was made.
Stanley Tigerman, the celebrated architect behind this colorful building, had a flair for bold, vibrant colors in his designs, as evident in the Illinois Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. He wanted his Arby's design to be "fun" and to stand out from its surroundings, with brightly colored exposed ductwork and piping that bent and twisted throughout.
When the restaurant closed in the early 1990s, it was demolished and redeveloped into new spaces, leaving behind a piece of architectural history. Today, the former Arby's has almost cult status among architecture enthusiasts, who appreciate its unique blend of practicality and surrealism, as well as its clear graphic visual language that brought together high and low elements.
Margaret McCurry, Tigerman's late wife, recalled that her husband designed the building to be "lively" and fun, with a mechanical component that was given colors. The Arby's earned a Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects for its innovative design at the time.
Chicago writer, editor, and architect Iker Gil added that seeing the building after dark revealed its unique color scheme through colorful ductwork, track lighting, and piping. This display effectively conveyed to customers how their meal was prepared - "the sausage, or roast beef" was made.
. Like, who doesn't love a good fast food joint with a side of nostalgia and a dash of drama? The fact that it got a Distinguished Building Award back in the day just shows how much the establishment wanted to stand out (and probably also how boring the surrounding buildings were at the time 
). I mean, it's not like it was a particularly groundbreaking design or anything...
it's like something out of a dream! i mean who designs a fast food joint that's basically an architectural masterpiece? stanley tigerman had some serious skills 
and the fact that he threw in those bold colors just makes it even more iconic. i can imagine how lit it must have been to dine inside with all that colorful exposed ductwork and piping 
plus the glass floors so you could see employees prepping food? genius! i'm not surprised this building has cult status among architecture enthusiasts - it's just too cool for school 
. Give me a plain Jane building any day, you feel? And I'm not even gonna get started on the Distinguished Building Award... like, what's so distinguished about it, right? 
his designs are always so bold and fun, who else could make a fast food joint look like art?! 
i mean, glass floors and wood-paneled dining area? what more can u ask for!?! 
it's crazy how much history that building holds, from when it was first built to now being kinda legendary among architecture fans 
did u no it won an award back in the day? its pretty cool 
Stanley Tigerman totally nailed that postmodern vibe, I mean, who else is gonna make a fast food joint look like an art piece? 
, and I'm so glad architects are still giving it some love today 