Updated: July 20, 2009: Because of the efforts of the ADSLA, Santa Monica Doctors Building was unanimously voted to be designated a landmark.

Read article in the Santa Monica Mirror re landmark designation.

Please see City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report, Evaluation Report, Parcel Map, Sanborn Maps and
Photographs for details regarding this beautiful building.
View Landmark Designation Application.

Updated: March 17, 2009: Thanks to the efforts of the ADSLA, the Santa Monica Doctors Building has been nominated for Landmark status. The Santa Monica Mirror has the complete story.

Prior Story:

On Monday, December 8, 2008, on behalf of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, ADSLA President, Rory Cunningham, appeared before the Santa Monica Landmark Commission and requested that the commission put on their agenda for future discussion the Santa Monica Doctors Building located at 2125 Arizona Avenue.

The following has been cited by the ADSLA as reasons to consider the Santa Monica Doctors Building as an official landmark:

1. The Santa Monica Doctors Building exemplifies an important cultural, social, economic and architectural history of the City of Santa Monica and Southern California.

Medical buildings designed between the two World Wars were often built in the most contemporary design to signify the modern, state-of-the-art and scientific developments of the time, this is to say, efficient, clean and sterile. This building, designed by Structural Engineer Leslie A. Irvin, exemplifies the very best of Streamline Moderne Architecture and is particularly adapted to the sub-tropical climate Southern California.

2. The Santa Monica Doctors Building has aesthetic and artistic interest and value to the City of Santa Monica.

This is by far one of the best examples of Streamline Moderne buildings in all of Southern California. The "Wedding Cake" stacking of the architectural elements and the sensuous curves of this building are only the beginning of what make this structure impressive. The dual-layered eyebrow canopies over the windows of the first and second stories are like the repeating waves on the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica!

3. The Santa Monica Doctors Building embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to the study of the period, style, method of construction, and the use of indigenous materials and craftsmanship, and is a unique and rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such study.

The Santa Monica Doctors Building includes some of the very best period design and engineering elements including the steel frame casement windows, exterior curved stucco surfaces and, the terrazzo stair entrance.

It is for these reasons that the Santa Monica Doctors Building appears eligible for landmark designation and warrants further research and discussion.

Watch this site for updates.

In 2007, the Greek Council of State took up a proposal to demolish a listed Art Deco apartment building a few blocks away from the new Acropolis Museum in Athens Greece. This ultra modern museum was built with the clear intent to hold the Elgin Marbles should they ever be returned to Greece by England.

The curators of the Acropolis Museum claimed that the building and its neighbor blocked the view from the top floor observation deck of the museum of the Acropolis, which sits high above the rest of Athens on an imposing hilltop. In reality, the Deco building, known by its address of 17 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, sits far below the sightline from the taller museum to the hilltop temple. It was quite clear that the Museum simply did not want to view the less aesthetically pleasing backside of the otherwise very beautiful listed Art Deco apartment building.

The Greek Council of State obviously saw through the argument put forth to de-list the D. Areopagitou building and denied the demolition request last month!

The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and its compatriots in the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS) were asked to write letters of support for the continued preservation of the D. Aeropagitou building. The representative for the owners of D. Aeropagitou informed us that our letters of support were indeed helpful in saving this treasured building.

The text of the letter on behalf of the ADSLA and the response after the victory are reproduced below.

July 20, 2009

Dear Mr Cunningham,
The Greek Council of State has annulled the ministerial decision for declassifying the Athenian Art Deco building of 17 D. Areopagitou str. (The decision was taken in 2007, in order to demolish the listed building, together with it's neighbor no 19, because they partly block the view from the new Acropolis museum).

We now believe that both buildings have been saved and we thank you for your strong support.

Best regards,
Marina Couremenou
(on behalf of the owners)

October 12, 2007

Dear Sirs and Madams:
As the President of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and a member of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies, I am saddened that such a fine example of Greek Art Deco Architecture could be torn down. Especially since the Ministry of Culture deemed the structure at 17 Dionysiou Areopagitou Str. to be of great significance in 1988. To think that people from around the globe would have to tell the Athenian Government that preserving their built environment was important is unbelievable. This is especially unfortunate given that the beautiful Art Deco edifice is not even obstructing the view of the Acropolis. It is my hope that the Museum reconsiders, and realizes that the preservation of history is the primary function of museums.

Most Sincerely,

Rory Cunningham,
President, Art Deco Society of Los Angeles

CBS Columbia Square Studios, HCM #947
(6121 Sunset Blvd.) Built in 1938 on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, this complex reflects the importance of radio and television broadcasting in Los Angeles and is characteristic of the International Style of architecture. Designed by William Lescaze, a renowned Modernist architect, the buildings are flat-roofed with smooth, unornamented concrete wall surfaces. Having served as the West Coast headquarters of CBS and as television and recording studios, the buildings have hosted a number of notable performers, from Jack Benny to Bing Crosby.

For more information, please read the entire issue of the April 2009 Office of Historic Resources newsletter.

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LONSDALE HOUSE – 269-273 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Lonsdale House is a major city building. Designed in 1935, it is located in the shopping precinct of Melbourne. It abuts a lane (Caledonian Lane), currently 4 metres wide. It is located in the same street as Myer Lonsdale Street department store. Myer also has a department store in Bourke Street, which is currently being upgraded (Stage 1)

Stage 2 of the redevelopment of the Myer precinct affects the Myer Lonsdale Street store includes the proposed demolition of Lonsdale House. Lonsdale House is not on the State Heritage Register. It is proposed that it be demolished and replaced with a new glass building that is essentially twice the height of Lonsdale House and totally out of character with the historic streetscape along Lonsdale Street. Lonsdale House is within the Post Office Precinct under the Heritage Overlay within the City of Melbourne Planning Scheme. It has been recognised as an important building within the city precinct since 1984. The City of Melbourne will have an input but has no authority in the planning decision.

The responsible authority is the Minister for Planning, due to the size of the project. He will decide on the approval/rejection/modification of the proposed plans for the site, including the modifications to Myer Lonsdale Street, the demolition of Lonsdale House, the approval of the proposed replacement building, and changes to Caledonian Lane to widen it. He will also decide as to whether an amendment will be made to the City of Melbourne Planning Scheme to remove Lonsdale House from the City of Melbourne Heritage Overlay (Post Office Precinct). Heritage aspects of the upgrade to the Myer store will be subject to control by Heritage Victoria, as the building is included on the State Heritage Register.

The Minister also has control over the level of consultation that will be undertaken and has decided that limited consultation will be undertaken. Submissions can be received until the 7th May from interested parties before the decision-making process commences. If the proposal is approved by the Minister, the result will be an ‘’incorporated document”.

Points that you may wish to include in any submission include:

Ø The potential loss of an historic building that represents one of the best examples of Art Deco styling in the city of Melbourne.
Ø The developers have stated that a proposal for adaptive re-use of the building has not been considered as viable. Our view is that the building could be modified to enable the required truck traffic to service the department stores.
Ø The developers have stated that there is a ‘gap’ in Melbourne’s shopping precinct that will be filled by the provision of the replacement building, and consider that any considerations of historic buildings are outweighed by the provision of a new set of shops. They use lots of jargon about retailing as if it is something magical. It is important to a city but is it important enough to demolish an historic building? We do not believe so.
Ø The key points of the proposed replacement building are:
o To provide a major entry point from Lonsdale Street to the new building and to Myer Lonsdale Street
o To use the new building to attract a major tenant - this is known as a “hero statement”
o To use Caledonian Lane as the major delivery route, servicing both Myer and David Jones department stores – it is proposed that Caledonian Lane be widened from 4m to 8m to facilitate trucks to enter and exit concurrently.

The Art Deco and Modernism Society of Melbourne, Australia's submission to the Minister included the following points:
• Lonsdale House is subject to the provisions of the Melbourne Planning Scheme and is included in a Heritage Overlay (HO 509 Post Office Precinct).
• It has a grading of C with a streetscape level 2.
• It was included in the Central Activities District Conservation Study by Graeme Butler (1984).
• The building is relatively intact, structurally sound, and has qualities that are representative of the Moderne style.
• Its retention would ensure that it continues to make a significant contribution to the historic streetscape of Lonsdale Street.
• The block makes a strong contribution to the architectural, social and historic character and appearance of the retail district associated with department stores
• Lonsdale House is a large five-storied landmark building that results from the conversion of a number of 19th century warehouses to a modern facility in 1934/5.
• It is one of Victoria’s best examples of the application of the Moderne style to a multistoried commercial premise.
• A major feature is the stepped tower at the parapet line, which is a combination of a
vertical section (painted a contrasting colour), horizontal planes beneath the flagpole, and semi-circular sections
• The building includes a number of other notable features associated with the Moderne style.
• Comparisons with Lonsdale House can be made to a number of other buildings in Central Melbourne that are regarded as exemplars of the Moderne style and which include retail and commercial facilities.
• The building retains a high degree of integrity, is substantially intact and could be adaptively re-used
• Lonsdale House represents an important trend in the commercial life of Melbourne, where large city buildings were occupied by numerous small businesses providing goods and products to the large department stores that were beginning to dominate Bourke Street.
• At time of construction, Lonsdale House was regarded as a building that would bring about further improvement in the area.
• The demolition of such a large building will have a serious effect on the environment of the City of Melbourne, including vehicle movements, storm water, sediment, dust, smell, material disposal, vibration, hours of work, hazardous material, and a range of other effects associated with the loss of embedded energy.
* The building is a major work by the prolific interwar architect I G Anderson. Whilst numerous examples of his work exist in Geelong, Tasmania and the suburbs of Melbourne, this is his only building in the city centre of Melbourne. His work is represented by other buildings on the Victorian State Heritage Register.

To view some of the dialogue about the building, a newspaper report, and to see some more images of the building, please go to:-

http://www.theage.com.au/national/pleas-to-preserve-art-deco-building-20090408-a0u2.html
http://www.walkingmelbourne.com/building593_lonsdale-house.html

Submissions can be lodged with the Minister’s department as follows:

Ms Kate Kraft
Acting Manager – Statutory Approvals
Department of Planning and Community Development
PO Box 500
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002

Email: kate.kraft@dpcp.vic.gov.au.
And/or the Minister for Planning directly - justin.madden@parliament.vic.gov.au
and CC the Melbourne City Council at planning@melbourne.vic.gov.au

The NuWilshire Theater has been designated as a Santa Monica landmark, and many portions of the building are protected. The areas protected include the exterior building envelope (meaning all exterior walls, roof, and exterior
portion of fly loft), the marquee, the terrazzo paving at the entrance extending to the sidewalk, and the retention of the two retail storefronts flaking the main entrance.

The protection of these features will ensure that the building will retain its historic character and association as a historic theater.

However, landmark designation never protects the use of a site. This enables adaptive reuse of buildings, and is seen throughout town with numerous successful conversions, such as LACMA west in the former Wilshire May Co. building, and the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana now being used as a special events venue.

It is always difficult to see a historic theater being changed from its original use. That is what is taking place at the NuWilshire theater. It is being converted into retail space, so the auditorium and lobby will be removed. However, the possibility always exists that the building could one day be converted back into a theater.

It will, from the street, however, still read very much like a theater.

For more information regarding the NuWilshire Theatre renovation, please see this recent article in the Santa Monica Daily Press.

The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles has been working with the Office of Historic Resources within the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to get the owners of the beautiful Black and Gold terra cotta building at Third Street and Western Ave. to remove inappropriate and illegal signage and banners from the facade of the structure. We are glad to report that the owners of this historic building have not only complied, but have gone the extra distance to replace all of the plate glass which had been painted black. The structure now looks much more like it did when it was built in 1931 as the Selig Clothing Store.

Designed by Arthur E. Harvey, this is one of only two Black and Gold glazed terra cotta Art Deco buildings left in Los Angeles. It was declared a Cultural-Historic Monument (#289) on September 20, 1985 and as such is protected from unapproved inappropriate changes, alterations and demolition. This single story building also once housed a Crocker Bank Branch, but has returned to it's roots and now sells clothing once again.


The building before the renovation (from Google Earth)

The 6th Street Viaduct, opened in 1933, has served as the setting for countless movie and television shoots over the years. Time appears to be running out for the iconic span, however, as studies continue to conclude that a replacement is necessary to make the structure safe for future generations.
More Information

The Art Theater at 2025 E. 4th Street is Long Beach's only original Deco era theater in operation and will be restored to its 1934 Art Deco design.

Local Long Beach contractor Jan Van Dijis recently purchased the theater. Mr. Van Dijis is no stranger to restoring historic buildings; he was responsible for the wonderful restoration and adaptive reuse of the Ebell Club and Lounge on 3rd Street in Long Beach. The Long Beach Cultural Heritage Commission approved the restoration plan and work is underway. John Thomas, Vice President of the Art Deco Society, President Elect of Long Beach Heritage and BHNA President has joined Mr. Van Dijis as a historic preservation consultant. "I'm pleased to be working on this project as I see the Art Theater as an important local community asset", John said recently at a community meeting.

Plans indicate the first building, constructed in 1924, was built in a modest vernacular style with "orientalizing" touches reminiscent of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. After the theatre suffered significant damage in the 1933 earthquake, it was redesigned by noted local architectural firm of Schilling and Schilling. In 1947 architect Hugh Gibbs added a glass-block wall and updated the marquee.

The Art Theater is a local Long Beach landmark and is protected from destruction and gross remodeling. Area residents are very pleased to see that not only the exterior will be restored but the interior will be refurbished in the Art Deco style, as well. Plans for upgrading restrooms, new seating, a cafe and movie memorabilia bookstore are also part of the major restoration plan.

The grand reopening ceremony is planned for August 2008. Stay tuned for more updates as we look forward to strolling down to our wonderful community theater for a movie, popcorn and social gatherings.

For more info regarding the Art Theatre, please go to: www.atlb.biz

EASTERN COLUMBIA BUILDING

After being neglected for many years and falling into a state of severe disrepair, the Eastern Columbia originally a commercial retail and office Art Deco jewel was adapted into modern condominiums. A rooftop pool was constructed beneath the historic clock tower creating a vintage setting allowing owners to enjoy outdoor living atop this beautiful historic building adorned with terracotta tile. Great care was taken to clean and repair the exterior tile work and repair the clock.

ENNIS HOUSE

Frank Lloyd Wright's historic Ennis House suffered extensive deterioration as the result of moisture intrusion and rainstorms. ADSLA salutes the Ennis House Foundation and members of the historic preservation community for joining forces to stabilize the house which will allow future restoration programming. Built in 1924, the Ennis House is a wonderful example of Wright’s use of the textile block construction technique.

HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION MURAL

Dedicated Inglewood preservationists and concerned citizens recognized the incredible WPA Helen Lundeberg mural depicting the regions' early transportation history known as "History of Transportation". This dynamic team of citizens, working with the City of Inglewood, located and restored the mural and relocated to a better location to protect the mural and allow for members of the public to enjoy the priceless piece of local and WPA history. ADSLA appreciates the local group recognizing the mural as a vital piece of both WPA and local history!

GRIFFITH PARK

ADSLA is pleased to announce that the nearly 4,218 acres historic Griffith Park has been proposed for designation to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. The park land will join the already landmarked Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign. Included in the designation will be the Greek Theatre (1930), Merry-Go-Round (installed 19370, the Vermont Tennis Courts (1927), municipal Plunge (1927), Wilson Harding Golf Clubhouse (1937) and the Mt. Hollywood Tunnel (1927). The nomination is scheduled for August 21 for consideration by the Cultural Heritage Commission. ADSLA will monitor and provide updated information as to the nomination process.

Two wonderful examples of late 1930s architecture were recently designated as Historical Cultural monuments by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.

THE LYDECKER HILLTOP HOUSE

Built in 1939, the Lydecker Hilltop House located in Studio City is a wonderful example of Streamline Moderne architecture designed by film special effects genius Howard Lydecker. Unique features included rounded walls, curved living room, curved corners giving the house an aerodynamic or ocean liner appearance.

THE CREST THEATRE

The historic Crest Theatre was constructed in 1940 and largely financed by Frances Fonda, wife of actor Henry Fonda. In 1987, a significant remodeling project was undertaken and lead by noted theater designer Joseph Musil. The remodel was influenced by wonderful examples of Art Deco features including sunburst, stepped faced, chevrons and a hand painted mural depicting Los Angeles' landmarks in 1939.

THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

The iconic Chrysler Building in New York has been reportedly sold. Investors from Abu Dhabi has negotiated an $800 million deal that includes 75 percent interest in the Art Deco icon in Midtown Manhattan. Tishman Speyer Properties will own the remaining 25 percent stake and would continue to operate the landmark. The Chrysler Building was deigned by William Van Alen to house the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. The building remained the world's tallest building until the Empire State Building was built in 1931.

After nearly 78 years, the Pantages Theater building will be realized as first designed. Owners of the Art Deco theater and local officials recently announced plans to complete the10-story tower portion of the original building at a cost of nearly $100 million dollars.

Los Angeles theater owner Alexander Pantages began work on the famous Art Deco Theater which included a 10 story office in the late 1920s. Impacted by the stock market crash and resulting depression, plans to complete the office tower portion atop the theater was halted and the theater was completed as it stands today. Fortunately, the "base" building which was designed to accommodate the total of 12 stories will be able to permit the completion of the tower without any major structural modifications.

Working from the original blueprints and design concepts by noted theater architect B. Marcus Priteca, a design team yet to me announced will lead efforts to realize the dream of the Art Deco style and Egyptian design influences of the period.

Like many local preservation and historic organizations, ADSLA is excited by the prospect and opportunity to complete the historic Art Deco Pantages complex. The Preservation Committee will extend an offer to the design team to participate in efforts to achieve the original building tower with attention to the art deco motifs. Our concern is that the use of faux materials is averted and the Pantages Theater Tower is realized to the original Art Deco splendor as envisioned by Alexander Panatges and the design team of B. Marcus Priteca.

UPDATE ON THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL

As a result of a second lawsuit filed by the original plaintiffs including the Los Angeles Conservancy against the Los Angeles Unified School District, a settlement which will provide additional funding for the preservation and restoration of historic schools has been achieved.

When plaintiffs of the original lawsuit and settlement, which included ADSLA, learned that the LAUSD was not following the legal requirement and guidelines regarding the former Ambassador Hotel site, a second lawsuit was filed in October 2007. Specifically, the LAUSD had promised to reuse the former Coconut Grove nightclub, the adjacent coffee shop and pantry, the site of the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Mitigation measures included the retention and adaptive reuse of these areas. After the initial demolition process began, LAUSD stated that the mitigation measures or reuse was "infeasible". LAUSD sited "unforeseen structural conditions" that made the reuse plan "technically infeasible."

After a review of the site and the demotion work that had occurred, a settlement was reached between the plaintiffs and the LAUSD. Based on the total or partial destruction of the areas that wee to be adaptively reused, plaintiffs agreed in the settlement to an additional $4 million toward the established permanent endowment to the Historic School Investment Fund bringing the total to nearly $9 million.

The Coconut Grove building including the coffee chop and the remnants of the RFK site will be destroyed.

ADSLA will work with the Los Angeles Conservancy as necessary to ensure the ongoing historic assessment, restoration and maintenance of the school sites throughout the LAUSD is conducted in a thoughtful manner.

YAMASHIRO RESTAURANT THREATENED

ADSLA has learned of efforts to nominate the well-known Yamashiro Restaurant for historic monument status. Situated high atop Franklin Avenue, the Yamashiro Restaurant and Magic Castle have provided fine food, entertainment and incredible views for patrons for many years. Plans to develop the site which may impede the wonderful vistas have been discussed. We join many preservation organizations, area residents and businesses to nominate and secure these two historic buildings. For updates toward these efforts, please monitor our ADSLA web site for updates and how you can join the process to nominate and protect the Yamashrio Restaurant and Magic Castle!

Stanley is most famous for sculpting the never-changing Oscar statuette as well as the entrance frieze above the Bullock's Wilshire tower doors. With $126K, Stanley began designing the federally-funded Hollywood Bowl entryway in 1937 and now, in 2006, the 200-foot long and 22-foot high sculpted fountain has been restored at a cost of $1.9M and will include a nearby illuminated signboard in a complementary style.

In the past few years, the County of Los Angeles which owns the iconic Hollywood Bowl, fought local preservation organizations including its neighbor, Hollywood Heritage, in order to demolish the 1928 shell and replace it with a larger replica. The County succeeded.

Several years have passed and the County is currently nominating the new bandshell as a cultural and historical landmark to the ire of Hollywood Heritage. As of this posting, there is no motion to nominate the Bowl's sculptured fountain.

More information