Brink's Coffee Shop, Dallas Texas
Built in 1964, I think this is probably one of the best examples of the Mid-Century Modern coffee shop "Googie" style I have ever seen. These photos are from the early-mid 1990s before it changed owners. The Brinks is now a Chinese restaurant. This building has all the standard elements of Mid-century modern coffee shop architecture. Huge windows, gravity defying roof & great stonework. I would really like to find out who designed this restaurant. Click on the photos to see larger versions.

The ramp-like profile of this building with the two overlapping sideways "Zs" is really unique. I've never seen anything like this before or since. The stone wall shooting out of the front of the building dividing the entry lobby with the dining area of the restaurant is classic MCM touch. Notice the recessed lights around the underside of the overhangs.

Here's the other side of the stone wall complete with wrought-iron horse and jockey wall sculpture. The landscaping was really very nicely done. Notice how the front of planter wall is parallel with the front line of the stone wall which is at a right angle to the roof line.

Here's an elevation plan-view of the entry. Notice the overlapping sideways "Zs" and the parallel lines of the front of the stone wall and the front structural members of the entry lobby. Check out the stepped end of the cinderblock wall at the far right of the photo. I wish I had a close-up of the front stepped part of the wall. I was really impressed when I noticed how the cinderblock wall was built. See photo below for a close-up of the wall.

Another view of the sideways "Zs." The front of the back Z floats above the back of the front Z.


Here's a close-up of the northeast wall. The cinderblocks have been cut at an angle on the bottom to put all the lines of the wall on an angle! Amazing! It gives an optical illusion of the ground being on a slope. I can't imagine anyone going to the trouble to do something this cool today.


Here's a view of the southwest side of the building taken in 2002. Prominent stone wall at the rear extends well past the back end of the rear "Z" to screen the rear service area of the restaurant. Large angled-top glass windows at the front where the dining area is. There is another stone wall jutting out to the side at the front corner. The landscaping seems to have declined quite a bit since it was the Brinks.


The Brinks sign as it looked when I took the photos in the early-mid 1990s. Horse and Jockey were featured here as well just like on the stone wall. Now that I look at this sign it's all the more strange. Notice the horse is just a silhouette and the jockey appears to be a "lawn jockey" complete with a base that the jockey is standing on. Hmmmm??? Classic wacky "Coffee Shop" logo at the bottom! This sign has since been changed.

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