I wonder if they get any comments on this design? Dennis
There was a Nazi retirement home in Happy! Could be the same place…
When was it built? It might predate the Nazis. Although the style says later to me.
It still looks a lot like a swastika, but two of the arms have been modified since that picture was taken.
Edit: The change was made with the intent of changing the appearance, and they were talking about another further modification in 2008 but it doesn’t seem to have been done. The article says it dates from the mid-70s.
Ironically, it seems that the swastika was simply a very practically suitable design; it allows the arms of the buildings to extend out and have maximum length and inner space while still allowing easy outside access to any of the interior lengths while still fitting into an overall square area. If they wanted to redesign they would probably have to add some extra length or connect two wings in order to visually break up the swastika resemblance.
It reminds me of the Israel Star of David that was on the roof of the Tehran airport in Iran for many years until the Iranians took it down.
Nice research, Lord Feldon! I updated the photo caption to include a link to the article.
Dennis
Ignorance fighting mode: It is a pity that the West in general thinks the ancient symbol of the Swastika is one of evil. It is not so - it is a Hindu religious symbol and its origin predates Western civilization. I do understand why this symbol is held to be hateful. Wonder what was going on in Hitler’s mind when he misappropriated the ancient Swastika for his nefarious purposes. The original Swastika used even today in Hindu/Jain religions represents auspiciousness and good fortune.
Relatedly, it is used in Japan on maps to indicate where there are Buddhist temples. And I have a tablecloth that my Jewish grandmother covered with hundreds of little needlepoint swastikas when she was a child, before the nazis appropriated the symbol.
But, you know, despite its long history as a good luck symbol, the swastika has been rather firmly associated with evil in western culture.
“Hakenkreuz” = hooked cross, i.e. the swastika. Plenty more info at the Wikipedia page.
Mrs. FtG was thrift store shopping a couple weeks ago and came across a top that had several geometric designs on it. Including swastikas.
Gee, why would anyone give away a perfectly good shirt like this? 
They could have had the exact same benefits and probably a more practical floor plan, by making a shape of three horizontal lines and one vertical line down the middle. It seems like that would make a lot fewer steps to get to the furthest ends of the hallway. It also would have allowed for just as much expansion by mostly closing in the open ends, as they have done for two of them.
Not that I’m particularly bothered by the shape as it was, but I don’t think that was the most practical layout.
It’s hysterical – and seems disingenuous – that in the 2008 article someone claims the building was originally planned to be different, and cost saving cutbacks resulted in the swastika shape. Subsequently the building underwent at least two modifications, at least one of which cost a million dollars – and it’s still making news as a swastika.
Doesn’t appear to have saved them much money.
I suspect he was thinking the same thing that everyone in history has ever thought when choosing to use a swastika as a symbol - that it is just an incredibly powerful symbol that attracts lots of immediate attention and recognition. It’s extremely simple, so it would not get confused for another symbol, even at a distance, but it also has that “turning around” look to it that draws the eye. Add in the black and red colors, and it’s a knockout.
The fact that it still draws to mind the Nazis, even after 70 years, is a testament to its power as an image. It just sucks that the first widespread use of it in the West was by a bunch of assholes.
ETABy Post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/38es5x/countries_of_the_1936_olympics/
I’d bet good money you’d have to think to identify most of these, but the German Flag is right there, easy to find.
Swastikas, ahem “Whirled Logs”, were also used as a significant motif in Pueblo Indian, Navajo, and other Southwest US cultures, pre World War 2. See, e.g., Western use of the swastika in the early 20th century - Wikipedia and THE COLLECTOR’S GUIDE: THE HISTORY OF AN ANCIENT HUMAN SYMBOL
AIUI, the 45th Infantry Division patches featuring whirled logs are collectors items. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Patch_of_the_45th_Infantry_Division_(1924-1939).svg/180px-Patch_of_the_45th_Infantry_Division_(1924-1939).svg.png
Did we cover the Coronado Naval Base yet? https://i2.wp.com/hiddensandiego.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/hm-1-1.jpg?resize=1309%2C737&ssl=1 Evidently it is a popular design element in architecture.
I can’t remember where in either Bucks or Montgomery county Pennsylvania this is. But, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. There’s a fire house with a big stone swastika on top of the facade. It pre dates the Nazis and was put there as a sign of Thor/Donner’s hammer and protection from lightning.
Mandala I know all that. The folks I know who worship the Norse pantheon have sworn off the symbol. I’ve seen online (and I believe them) articles in US papers during the war where Navajo weavers say ‘To us it is a positive symbol. But after what that bastard Hitler did, we refuse to use it anymore.’
A guy going by the name of “ManWoman” is on a Quixotic mission to ‘rehabilitate the swastika’. He even sells smiley face buttons featuring the swastika and the words “Screw Hitler”. I don’t see him being succesful anytime soon.
There’s an old brick building on Main Street in Farmington, NM that has swastikas in the brickwork at the top of the front face. They are vertical and horizontal, so I didn’t notice they were swastikas when I first saw them. I hope no one decides to destroy the historic building because of them.
SIGH
I thought the confusion was long gone.
"There two types of Manji — one a mirror image of the other.
The ‘counterclock’ Manji — with the ‘trailing lines’ running from the ends of the central cross to the left (called “Omote“) — represents infinite mercy. This is the prevalent Buddhist Manji symbol in Japan:
The ‘clockwise’ Manji — with the ‘trailing lines’ running from the ends of the central cross to the right (called “Ura“) — represents intellect and strength.
The evil Nazis, twisting the true meaning of the “Ura Manji”, adopted it and tilted the Manji symbol at an angle of 45 degrees (corners pointing upwards and invariably in black). Here is the much-hated Nazi swastika:"
Source: The difference between the Buddhist swastika symbol and the Nazi swastika symbol | NORIO HAYAKAWA
Double SIGH To clarify the difference between the Nazi swastika (hakenkreuz) and primarily religious swastika:
The hakenkreuz as stated above is at 45 degree angle and stated in the excerpt below “(which resembles the Swastika)”. Most depictions of swastikas/manjis are a at 90 degree angle. So if the building pictured in the OP was meant to represent a hakenkreuz, it would be at a 45 degree angle to the surround roads.
“The Nazis’ principal symbol was the hakenkreuz, “hooked-cross” (which resembles the Swastika) which the newly established Nazi Party formally adopted in 1920.[3] The emblem was a black swastika (hooks branching clockwise) rotated 45 degrees on a white circle on a red background. This insignia was used on the party’s flag, badge, and armband.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolism
Also, the Chinese and Japanese character for the swastika/manji is 卍. Again at a 90 degree angle.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
Oh…I came across this just now. Did you know the Boy Scouts used the swastika (NOT the hakenkreuz) in 1921? Hmm…preparations the future Hitler youth?
Reference: https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/ritual-objects/the-swastika
Another illustration of how the misunderstanding of a religious symbol can be twisted. I present you the upside down Christian cross, a sign of the devil, which you can easily seen if you’re flying over a standing cross. Or if you see someone wearing one, they must be a satanist! And look! The Bibliothèque Alexis De Tocqueville in France must have been built by satanists! They put angled the ends of the cross so it’s not immediately obvious what it is!
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_occult_symbols
Reference: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/cgehf/oma-s-crossshaped-bibliothque-alexis-de-tocqueville-set-to-open-in-january-2017-in-france.html
Oh wait! It’s actually the Cross of Peter, who apocryphally was said to have asked to be crucified upside down as he didn’t feel worthy to die the way Jesus did!
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Saint_Peter
Triple SIGH
It seems to me that if there were such virtue in this design, we would have a lot more old buildings (predating the symbolism) with this plan. But we don’t. A floor plan like this |-|-| has all the advantages you note, fitting in a square with the same floor area, but with better communication between different parts of the building.