A weekly round-up of my favorite preservation related stories from around the web and in the news. Click on the title of each story to jump through to the original article/blog post.

Top 10 Biggest Roadside Foods in America – Smithsonian Magazine

“The American superhighway system is dotted with some truly bizarre and unique roadside attractions. There are dinosaurs, Cadillacs stuck in the ground and kitschy souvenir stops with advertisements of questionable taste. But for those drivers with some extra time on their cross country trips, they should add these large, statue versions of everyone’s favorite foods to their itinerary. We’ve narrowed down the cornucopia of foods to 10 must-see, “World’s Largest” food-related attractions for your hypothetical (or real) adventure.”

When Do Building Materials Metamorphose into Historic Fabric? – Preservation In Action

In this post, Preservation in Action asks when does historic material, particularly additions/alterations, become historic material. This is a question many preservationists struggle with – you have a circa 1850 building with an 1865 addition… to keep or not to keep the addition? There are basically two schools of thought. 1) Remove any and all later additions/alterations or 2) The additions represent a continuum over time and are a part of the buildings history, therefore they should be maintained.  The two schools represent a sor tof spectrum and opinions can rest anywhere in between. Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Preservation ABC: W is for Window – Preservation in Pink
“Of course W is for Window. Windows are significant features of every building, indicative of technology, design, trends, architectural style and period. Original windows give much character to a building. When original (historic) windows are replaced, the ability to read a building’s architectural style (it’s identity) is lost, at least partially.” Then there is the superior quality of the windows and the poor economics of replacements!

Playing with Art: The Isamu Noguchi Playscape – Preservation Nation

The avant-garde concept for the play ground in the Olmsted-designed Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia was designed by internationally renowned Japanese-American sculptor, designer, and architect Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). The playground or — depending on how you look at it — work of art was completed in 1976. The idea had been kicking around in Noguchi’s head since at least the mid-1930s, when he designed the first iteration for a park in New York City – the design was rejected! New York’s loss was Atlanta’s gain, the playscape is considered one of the city’s greatest cultural assets.