Some have earned listing as historical monuments, such as Red Hill service station 170 kms north of London, whose futuristic “Pegasus” design from the 1960s comprises six circular canopies.
The common element of most service stations is the canopy above the fuel pumps which, as well as sheltering users from the weather, often serves for marketing. A giant billboard with James Dean’s face reminds motorists that it was here the “Rebel Without a Cause” star made his last stop before the accident which killed him 40 kilometres (25 miles) further down the highway. Some filling outlets have become landmarks in themselves, such as Blackwell’s Corner, in the California desert. Nine decades later, this sober cream and red building is still there, in the shadow of golden-domed Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. In Moscow, the oldest filling station in the city centre was established in the 1930s. That may well sound the death knell -– or at least trigger a deep reconfiguration –- for petrol stations, whose history was closely tied to the rise of the automobile at the start of the 20th century. Faced with the drive away from hydrocarbons as governments seek to fight global warming, compounded by fuel shortages due to the Ukraine conflict and consequent soaring prices, there is little doubt that the internal combustion engine’s days will likely soon be numbered.
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