John Sing Tang (1913 – December 3, 1987) was a modernist architect from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. He worked in the

Phoenix metropolitan area The Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, the Salt River Valley, metro Phoenix, or The Valley, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the Southwestern United States, with its largest principal city being the c ...

, and designed many homes in the Arcadia area in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first Chinese-American architect licensed in Arizona. He received his degree in architecture from

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

in 1944. Though many of his commercial works have been demolished he is still highly regarded architect in Arizona. His Helsing's Coffee Shop and Melrose Bowling Alley designs of the late 1950s are considered exceptional examples of

Googie Architecture Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, Jet aircraft, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popu ...

(both now demolished). Tang died in 1987 at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix at the age of 74.

Buildings

Tang's works include * 1948 F. T. Weirmusz residence, Phoenix * "Party House" at 3106 N 15th Ave. Phoenix * 1951 Better Made Potato Chips Plant, Phoenix (Demolished) * 1951 Rancho Del Monte Subdivision, Phoenix * 1950–1952 Sun View Estates Subdivision, Phoenix * 1952 residence at 5960 E. Orange Blossom Ln. Phoenix * 1950–1953 Nixson Square Subdivision, Phoenix * 1953 Rancho Grande Subdivision, Phoenix * Wellton Grammar School, Wellton * 1953 Central and Person Shopping Center, Phoenix * 1953 Winterhaven Subdivision, Tucson * 1950s Pecan Grove Elementary School, Yuma * 1950s El Rancho Motel, Yuma * 1950s Silver Spur Motel, Yuma * 1954 Frontier Plaza Shopping Center, Scottsdale (Demolished) * 1955 Helsing's Coffee shop Central & Camelback, Phoenix (Demolished). * 1956 Subdivision at 34th Ave and Glendale Ave, Phoenix * 1957 Melrose Bowl, Phoenix (Demolished) * 1957 Central High School, Phoenix * 1957 Gila Vista Jr. High School, Yuma * 1957 Palmcroft Elementary School, Yuma AZ (Additions) * 1957 residence at 6740 E. Stallion Rd. Paradise Valley (Demolished) * 1957 Del Monte Estates Subdivision, Phoenix * 1956–1958 B. J. Leonard residence, Paradise Valley * 1958 Kerns Cafeteria 1730 E. McDowell Rd. Phoenix * 1958 Ding Ho Restraint, Phoenix (Demolished) * 1958 Pyle Estates Subdivision, Phoenix * 1959 Helsing's Coffee shop Central & Osborn, Phoenix (Demolished) both coffee shops were considered some of Phoenix's best examples of

Googie Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popular in the U ...

architecture * 1961 Phi Kappa Alpha house,

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

, Tempe (Demolished) * 1962 Conn & Candlin CPA Office, Phoenix * 1962 Glen Mar Apartments, Phoenix * 1963 Caribbean Apartments, Phoenix * 1964 Arizona Land Title Building, 2200 N. Central Ave. Phoenix * 1965 Flora M. Statler Homes, El Mirage * 1966 Associated Grocers Warehouse Expansion, Phoenix * 1970 State Commercial Building, 1601 W. Jefferson St. Phoenix * 1971 State Education Building, 1535 W. Jefferson St. Phoenix * 1974 Greenwood Memorial Park Crematory, Phoenix

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tang, John Sing American architects of Chinese descent Modernist architecture in Arizona Architects from Arizona 1913 births 1987 deaths Rice University alumni