21 Nov: Let’s Revolve A Restaurant
La Ronde, the USA’s first revolving restaurant, opened on 21st November, 1961, at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. On the menu in the 298ft-tall tower was shrimp cocktail, mahi-mahi, and ‘the Queen of beefdom’.
It had a predecessor, though, in perhaps an unlikely city: post-war Dortmund, Germany.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the origins of rotating restaurants back to Ancient Rome (of course); recall Elvis Presley’s role in furthering the popularity of high-rise revolving dining at the Space Needle; and consider the particular appeal of ‘high attractions in low rise cities’…
But wait! There’s more! To unlock another FIVE MINUTES of this episode, join 🌴 CLUB RETROSPECTORS 🌴- and get bonus bits each week, plus full-length ad-free Sunday episodes! This week, the Retrospectors discuss who invented the revolving restaurant, and reveal the best place in the world to get a Dirty Martini.
Further Reading:
• ‘A Moveable Feast: A Brief History of the Revolving Restaurant’ (Duck Pie, 2014): https://duckpie.com/2014/05/02/a-moveable-feast-a-brief-history-of-the-revolving-restaurant/
• ‘Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings That Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot – By Chad Randl’ (Princeton Architectural Press, 2008):
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Revolving_Architecture/H8gAaZj2e-AC?q=sky+view&gbpv=1#f=false
• ‘Top of Waikiki Revolving Restaurant View’ (Life Is Amazing, 2017):
#1960s #Germany #Strange #Food #WorldsFair