Gas Station Design - The Future

We just run into an article in Web Urbanist, and were intrigued and couldn’t agree more with Steph’s introduction on the subject, “Gasoline is on its last legs. It’s a commodity we’ll soon be saying goodbye to as renewable energy takes over. Most gas stations are unremarkable or even ugly, but the following quirky gas station designs will certainly find another use, whether as roadside attractions, shops, restaurants or service stations.”

These were our favorite designs. Read the full article on Web Urbanist.

The Jack Colker Union 96 gas station on Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills, California has a roof that looks like it was designed for some other kind of building – and it was. The curved, triangular structure was originally meant to be a part of the LAX airport, but when it wasn’t needed, it was installed at the gas station.

On the other side of the spectrum is this stark yet beautiful minimalist gas station design in Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1937, this gas station is still functioning - and still gorgeous -–after all these years.

Some people have called it "the poshest gas station in Los Angeles". Others think it's a futuristic eyesore. Seemingly influenced by architect Frank Gehry, this geometric metallic behemoth on the corner of Olympic & Robertson replaced a dingy, decaying gas station. It's an improvement for sure and has become something of an attraction in itself.

The Vintage Orbit gast station in Sacramento, California is another example of 'Googie' architecture. Its unusual shape makes it look like some sort of alien aircraft that just landed. There are a number of vintage Orbit gas stations all over the country but few are still operational, or as well kept as this one is.