- Big Chicken
Infobox Modern building
caption = Big Chicken
name = The Big Chicken
location_town =Marietta, Georgia
location_country = United States
coordinates =
architect = Hubert Puckett
client = Tubby Davis
engineer =
construction_start_date=
completion_date = 1963 (The Big Chicken structure)
date_demolished =
cost =
structural_system =
style =|The Big Chicken is aKFC restaurant inMarietta, Georgia , which features a large steel-sided structure designed in the appearance of a chicken rising up from the top of the building. It is located at the city's biggest intersection ofCobb Parkway (US 41) andRoswell Road (S. R. 120) and is a well-known landmark in the area. The exact address is 12 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta GA 30062.History
In
1963 , Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck and Shake owner S.R. "Tubby" Davis erected the 56-foot (17-meter) tall structure over his restaurant as a method of advertising. It was designed by Hubert Puckett, a Georgia Tech student ofarchitecture , and fabricated byAtlantic Steel in nearbyAtlanta (of which Marietta is asuburb ). Davis later sold it to his brother, and it became a franchise ofKFC .In January 1993, storm winds damaged the structure, and rather than tear it down KFC was forced by public outcry to re-erect the building. Among those who complained about the Big Chicken being torn down were pilots, who actually used the building as a reference point when approaching Atlanta and Dobbins Air Reserve Base. [cite web|url=http://www.cobbcountyga.gov/history/index.htm|title=Cobb County Government ] The new Big Chicken even includes the original design of beak and eyes which move, although this time the vibrations which plagued the first structure (even to the point of breaking windows) have been eliminated.
It has also led to a small
cottage industry of sorts, selling souvenirs emblazoned with the monument, including one sweatshirt showing Big Ben inLondon , theEiffel Tower inParis , theColosseum inRome , and of course, the Big Chicken in Marietta. The Big Chicken is commonly used as a landmark for directions. Locals will often include "At the Big Chicken, make a ..."ee also
*
Novelty architecture
*Big Duck Further reading
* Albert C. Smith and Kendra Schank, "A Grotesque Measure for Marietta", "Journal of Urban Design", 13574809, Oct99, Vol. 4, Issue 3.
References
* [http://www.mariettasquare.net/bigchicken.html History]
* [http://www.bigchickenchorus.org/BigChickenLandmark.html Big Chicken Chorus article]
* [http://gtalumni.org/Publications/techtopics/fall98/chicken.html Interview with Hubert Puckett, designer of the Big Chicken]External links
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