L.A.'s Most Beautiful Art Deco Buildings
Los Angeles is home to some great architectural buildings. In fact, of all the styles of architecture, Los Angeles offers some great Art Deco buildings which will make you feel as if you're back in the 1930's. Whether you're a fan of architecture or not, visit these architectural wonders which will make you feel like you're back in the golden age of Hollywood.
Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(213) 473-0800
www.griffithobservatory.org
As one of L.A.'s most iconic buildings and destinations to visit, The Griffith Observatory is another Art Deco masterpiece from LA's olden days. Set atop Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, the building opened in 1935 in the typical Art Deco style of the times. The original building, a 27,000 square foot concrete structure, offers up Greek influences throughout.
Bullocks Wilshire
3050 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Designed by renowned L.A. architects John and Donald Parkinson, and thought up by business partners P.G. Winett and John G. Bullock, the Bullocks Wilshire Building was a luxury department store for over 60 years before Southwestern Law School purchased it in 1994 and converted it into a place to learn the law. The art deco landmark offers strong vertical lines, and is an ode to Los Angeles' past. The 230,000 square foot Art Deco building opened in 1929, and was notable because it was one of the first department sores to cater to L.A.'s automobile culture. Located in a then-mostly residential area, it was opened to attract shoppers who wanted a place to shop that was closer than downtown L.A. The interior offers travertine floors, and elevators with nickel, gunmetal and brass.
Pantages Theatre
6233 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 468-1770
www.hollywoodpantages.com
If there was ever a quintessential Art Deco building, The Hollywood Pantages Theatre embodies it. Designed by B. Marcus Priteca at the epitome of the Art Deco era, this building offers up all the features of this unique architectural style, including chevrons, starbursts, figures and zigzag patterns. Opened in 1930, this 2,691 seat theatre offers other Art Deco features like the ceiling's gold, silver and bronze colored starbursts in geometric patterns. The lobby offers not one, but two incredible staircases with Art Deco chandeliers and within the auditorium, the starburst Art Deco style can be seen as well. Now home to shows of all kinds, in the past, it played host to the Academy Awards for eleven years, including being the place for the first telecast of the shows in 1953. Throughout the years, the theatre fell into some disrepair but by 2000, the theater went through a big rehabilitation project to bring back its Art Deco grandeur.
Eastern Columbia Building
605 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
One look at the outside of the Eastern Columbia Building and you can see the Art Deco style all over the place. With copper, turquoise finishes and sunburst features, the Eastern Columbia Building is a quintessential Art Deco styled building. Built in 1930, it became a L.A. Historic-Cultural Monument by 1985 for its part in history. The thirteen story building, which sits in the Broadway Theater District of downtown L.A. was built in just 9 months and can still easily be spotted from far away due to its bright turquoise coloring and trademark four-sided clock tower with the word 'Eastern' in bright neon. The building is also one of the most photographed buildings in L.A. due to its unique Art Deco style. Start at it for a while and you can almost see the olden days of L.A. come alive.
The Wiltern Theatre and Pellissier Building
3790 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 388-1400
www.wiltern.com
Today, the Wiltern Theatre is host to some of the best concerts in the city. From indie bands to more established bands, it's a great place to see a concert. But, the Koreatown building, which was built and designed in 1931 by architect Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements, used to be a vaudeville theatre. It was originally named the Warner Brothers Western Theater, but by the mid-1930's, it re-opened as the Wiltern Theatre for the major intersection it faces (Wil-shire Boulevard and Wes-tern Avenue). The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre is now an Art Deco landmark, and has all of the features that are common of this type of architectural building. With blue-green glazed architectural terra-cotta tile, the building complex is thought to be one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. Once inside, the Art Deco features can't be overlooked. From its oval lobby to its ornate details on the ceiling with sunburst features and more, it's an architectural Art Deco wonder.