Food and building design: Two of our favorite passions. Some very interesting results come forth when the two blend together. In a nod to Thanksgiving, we hope you enjoy these four buildings shaped like food. We have attempted to bring some balance to the equation, with fruit, dairy and even some whiskey.
Dunmore Pineapple, Dunmore Park, Scotland
The pineapple was once a symbol of wealth and hospitality. After returning to Scotland from the Colony of Virginia just before the American Revolution, the Earl of Dunmore added a pineapple atop what was originally a greenhouse and summer home. Per Atlas Obscura,
The original Palladian-style lower story was built around 1761, and did not acquire the enormous fruit hat – which housed a modest pavilion inside – until 1777 after Lord Dunmore’s return. Returning sailors of the time often placed a pineapple, the exotic proof of distant travels, on a gatepost to announce their return from abroad. This, then, is Dunmore’s announcement. The architect is unknown.
Donut Hole, La Puente, California
Built in 1968, the Donut Hole has gone through several owners but today remains a functioning bakery. The wood and stucco one-story building is bracketed by two giant fibreglass donuts that customers can drive through to place their orders. The shop has been featured in a couple of movies, and it has an interesting place in the hearts of area locals. Per Wikipedia,
It is a local tradition for newlyweds to drive through the donuts; some cite good luck as the reason, while others credit the sexual symbolism. The building has been struck by cars several times in its history, most recently in 2004 when an out-of-control car crashed through one of the donut facades.
Idle Hour, Hollywood
The Idle Hour is a whiskey-barrel shaped bar in North Hollywood. The bar was commissioned in 1941 and shuttered in 1984. After years of neglect, the building was restored by 1933 Group, who maintained the building’s original stained glass and repurposed ceiling planks as flooring. The area once bustled with programmatic architecture – where buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes for specific purposes – during the building’s heyday. Per 1933 Group,
Business owners, recognizing a hasty need to attract the now quickly passing motorists, opted for instantly recognizable buildings to do the duty previously filled by window signage and adverts. Idle Hour resembled a whiskey barrel to lure thirsty workers on their “idle hour,” while other quick-serve locations formed in shapes of tea kettles, doughnuts, and wildly oversized objects to represent their operations. This style of architecture survives as a relic of Hollywood’s past, an unexpected yet instantly iconic result of the city’s historic car culture.
Ismil Cheese Theme Park, South Korea
This 32 acre theme park dedicated to fromage has a lot happening – buildings shaped like cheese, of course, as well as pizza making classes and the opportunity to tie the knot in front of a ‘European-style cheese castle‘. The county was the place where the first Korean cheese was produced, and it is meant to celebrate the region’s heritage. It offers a restaurant, children’s playground, animal park and research center – a cave-like building where cheeses are aged.
