Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Background

Los Angeles is known around the world for its programmatic or mimetic type architecture.  The style rose to prominence after the wild success of the Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in 1926.  This giant object spawned at least 75 other roadside structures in the region shaped like animals, food or vehicles.  These specimens were portrayed in popular media as lining LA streets and, along with the booming artist community, health food fads and creative expression of religion, added to Southland’s reputation as a bastion of eccentricity in the early part of the 20th century.  The golden age of programmatic architecture was the interwar years (1918-1941), giving us several of the most bazaar-looking buildings, some of which still stand today.

Programmatic architecture momentarily dotted the Greater Los Angeles landscape as it catered to the area’s expanding car culture and commuters by utilizing a commercial building’s architecture to advertise what products consumers could expect to find inside. The programmatic style of architecture was highly influenced by the exponential rise of the automobile, a trend that grew through the post-war era.

Historical Notes

In the 1920s, as the automobile was becoming the default way to get around Los Angeles, buildings and structures in the area became more unique, often resembling the merchandise or services they hawked.  These “hey-you-can’t miss-me!” buildings (referred to as Novelty or Programmatic architecture) were made to pull automobile drivers right off the road.

Historical Notes

In the 1920s, Los Angeles featured the Sphinx Realty Company building on Fairfax Avenue, a prime example of programmatic architecture resembling a giant sphinx. Located at 537 North Fairfax, it showcased a sphinx head and upper body, with camel-shaped signs promoting properties. This novelty structure reflected the city's fascination with ancient Egypt following King Tutankhamun's tomb discovery in 1922. While the building no longer exists, the site is now a parking lot across from the Fairfax High School football field. It remains a memorable part of Fairfax's history as it transitioned into a Jewish neighborhood, symbolizing Los Angeles' tradition of whimsical and eye-catching architecture.

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Barkies Sandwich Shops was a 1920s Los Angeles restaurant chain, featuring a larger than life mascot named “Ponderous Pup.” These types of shops were an early precursor to the mini-mall idea.*

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This structure graced Colorado Blvd from ca. 1927 to at least the mid-1940s.

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The restaurant served hearty meals from the whimsical shoe that attracted patrons driving along Route 66 from the east coast to Los Angeles. Diners would be seated on the ground floor and in a dining room upstairs.

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The Freezer was a mini chain of ice cream outlets, and each store was built into the shape of an ice cream churn. They also had locations at 7435 Sunset, 1124 Vine, 3801 W Washington, 402 S Western, and one in Alhambra.*##

Historical Notes

I Scream Hoot Owl Café was in the shape of an owl. The head rotated; the eyes, made from Buick headlamps, blinked; the sign: Hoot Hoot, I Scream, used elements of a theater marquee. For over 50 years, Tillie Hattrup ran this refreshment spot designed and built by her husband, Roy in 1926-27. It was originally on Valley Boulevard, then moving to 8711 Long Beach Boulevard, before being demolished in 1979.*

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This small establishment offered dairy products such as milk & cream, cottage cheese, churned buttermilk, and fancy ice cream. The building eventually became the Feed Rack, a small restaurant, during the Depression.*

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Although Shy-der's Health Juices has been demolished, the house behind it still stands.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

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Named for family friend and child star Betsy Ann Hisle, whose likeness was recreated in the structure, at one time there were multiple parlor locations.

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The original Chapman ice cream 'Big Cone' shop was located at Chapman Avenue and North Main in Santa Ana, hence the name. It was part of a chain of Big Cone ice cream outlets established by Frank E. Jackson and George N. Nazel of Santa Ana. The Big Cone Operating Company (you can see the sign above the door) hoped to have one in every city in Orange County. There was one in Fullerton, Orange, Laguna Beach, and Balboa, and as far away as Nashville. The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has a photograph of the Fullerton one, then called Helen’s Cones in the 1930s. There is a brief history of the company in the Santa Ana Register, March 11,1928. What makes the cones particularly cool is that the owner filed a patent for the building design. Des. 75, 511.

Historical Notes

The tiny diner mimicked the shape of the cans once used to lubricate machinery, complete with a giant handle and a spout that towered above the building's domed roof. The Oil Can was built in the 1920s on Whittier Boulevard in honor of the underground oil that had been found prior in the Montebello region that the restaurant was located. The restaurant served food, ice cream, and beer brewed by Eastside Beer. Eastside Beer was eventually purchased by Pabst Brewing. ^^

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The discovery of an underground oil field in 1917 had brought fortune to the town and transformed its once graceful hills ("Montebello" is Italian for "beautiful mountain") into a forest of wooden derricks.^**

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The Zep Diner, located at 515 W. Florence Avenue in Los Angeles, was a distinctive example of novelty architecture from the early 20th century. Opened in the 1930s, the diner was designed to resemble a zeppelin, reflecting the era's fascination with airships, particularly the German-made Zeppelins, which were the largest aircraft ever built at the time. It was likely inspired by the visit of the Graf Zeppelin in 1929 during its around-the-world voyage.

Click HERE to see more on the Graf Zeppelin's visit to Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

The Zep Diner operated 24 hours a day and was known for its unique "Hinden Burger," named after the famous Hindenburg airship. This thematic connection to airships extended beyond the menu; the architectural design itself made the diner a notable roadside attraction of its time.

Historical Notes

A rare remaining example of programmatic architecture, The Tamale was designed to advertise its products to passing motorists. It opened in 1928 as a restaurant that served “Tamale pies,” malts, and other “Spanish delights” along with hamburgers and chili.

Historical Notes

Originally opened in 1928 as a restaurant that served “Tamale pies,” malts, and other “Spanish delights” along with hamburgers and chili. The Tamale is now home to a beauty salon and a dental laboratory.  In 1984, The Tamale was transformed from a restaurant and adaptively reused to meet the needs of its current tenants.  This particular building, which was designed to look like a wrapped tamale, has seen its exterior color change throughout the years but is largely intact.

Historical Notes

Although it’s among the last of an indigenous California architectural form, unfortunately there is no structure in place for protecting or preserving the Tamale. Located in unincorporated Los Angeles County, it is not subject to the city’s historic preservation guidelines. 

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In 1938, the Toed Inn structure was damaged by a flood caused by one of wettest seasons ever to hit Southern California. That same year, the Toed Inn was relocated to Westwood, at 12008 Wilshire Boulevard.*

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The Pup is a small fast-food restaurant in the shape of a large white dog with black spots, sitting on hind legs. The entrance is through a door on his belly.*

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The Bulldog Café (similar to the Pup Café) was built in 1928 and located at 1153 West Washington Boulevard. It was demolished in 1966.

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In 1990 Disney recreated the Bulldog Café when it adapted the work into a movie called The Rocketeer. It was on display on the Disney-MGM backlot tour from 1991-1996.

In 1994 the Peterson Automotive Museum (which is also an example of Programmatic Architecture itself, as the front of the museum is designed to look like the grill of car, also had a smaller scale replica of the Bulldog Café inside. But during a recent renovation, it was decided that the cafe would be demolished. Luckily, the replica cafe was saved, and is now sitting on the patio of the Idle Hour Café (opened in 2015). ^^

Historical Notes

Art Whizin established the Chili Bowl restaurant chain in Los Angeles in 1931, known for its distinctive shape in the form of a chili bowl. Whizin was a 25-year-old former amateur boxer when he established the business on Crenshaw Boulevard near Jefferson Boulevard with funding raised by selling "his wife's wedding ring and his roadster." Other businesses at the time were also modeled with architecture featuring eye-catching architectural depictions of the goods sold including ice a cream cones and coffee kettles.*^

Historical Notes

Chili Bowl restaurants were arranged with 26 stools around a circular counter (no tables) and employed college "kids" as burger flippers. The specialty dish was an open-faced burger smothered in chili and there were 22 restaurants within a decade of the eatery's opening.  After WWII many of the stores were converted into Punch & Judy Ice Cream Parlors that were later closed, and Whizin also built a mall in Agoura Hills that still bears his name.*^

Historical Notes

Four Chili Bowl structures survive, one in Huntington Park, Long Beach that is now the Guadalajara Nightclub, another became Kim Chuy Chinese restaurant on Valley Boulevard in Alhambra, the one on Pico Boulevard (that remained open 24 hours during the war effort for nearby workers), is now Mr. Cecil's California Ribs, and the one on San Fernando Road in Glendale is a used-car dealership.*^

Historical Notes

The Pumpkin Building would wear many hats throughout its existence.  It started out as at least two nightclubs in the 1920s (Pumpkin Palace and Studio Club), later a church called Valley Gospel, an inn called the Pumpkin Inn, a real estate office called Stan Summeril Real Estate, and later a hardware store (Magnolia Park Hardware).

Historical Notes

The Brown Derby chain was started by Robert H. Cobb and Herbert Somborn (a former husband of film star Gloria Swanson). Bob Cobb is known as the inventor of the California Cobb Salad. He was also part owner of the Hollywood Stars baseball team.*^

The original Brown Derby was built in 1926 on the site that later became the Chapman Park Hotel. It had to vacate its location on Wilshire between Alexandria and Mariposa when the land was requisitioned for the women’s village for the 1932 L.A. Olympic Games. So it was temporarily moved in 1931 five blocks west into the Bilicke Building located at 3927 Wilshire Blvd.

In 1937, the Brown Derby would move out of the Bilicke Building into a newly constructed derby-shaped building at 3377 Wilshire Boulevard. The new location was a block east of the Derby's original home, on the northeast corner of Wilshire and Alexandria.

Historical Notes

The derby-shaped building remains the most famous due to its distinctive shape. Whimsical architecture was popular at the time, and the restaurant was designed to catch the eye of passing motorists. It is often incorrectly thought that the Brown Derby was a single restaurant, and the Wilshire Boulevard and Hollywood branches are frequently confused.*^

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The Brown Derby chain also included restaurants in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the Los Feliz area. The Los Feliz Brown Derby at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd is the last remaining branch of the chain still extant and in operation*^

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After being sold in 1975 and renovated, the Brown Derby Restaurant on Wilshre Boulevard was finally replaced in 1980 by a shopping center known as the Brown Derby Plaza. The domed structure was incorporated into the third floor of the building and accommodates a cafe. A Korean mini-mall occupies the site today.*^

Click HERE for more historical background on the Brown Derby.

Historical Notes

It advertised “The Squarist dinner in the Whole Round World for a Round Dollar at the Round House.”  One could order a chicken, steak or ham dinner for $1.00 and have ice cream molded in the shape of a steam engine.

Historical Notes

Bob’s Air Mail Service utilized a real twin-prop airplane to top its station, with the wings serving as canopies to shade its General Petroleum pumps. The plane was one of two Fokker F-32 aircraft operated by Western Air Express, circa 1930-31. The four engine F-32 was a design failure due to overheating of the two pusher engines and was only briefly in commercial service.

Historical Notes

The Zenith Model 12 didn’t work out too well. It was an attempt to travel on the success of Henry Ford’s trimotor. It was underpowered and not a roaring success. It became a one of a kind airplane. However, it wasn’t totally useless. Someone saw it as a gasoline station. It was set up as part of a Texaco station in the gore point created by the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Ventura Place in Studio City opposite Republic Studios.^

Historical Notes

History is vague but the Royal Albatross disappeared around the onset of WWII.

Historical Notes

The Big Red Piano Shop, aka. California Piano Supply Co., was once located at 2251 Venice Blvd. (the corner of Venice and Oxford Street), near Western Avenue.

A chiropractor named Dr. Ashley Manning first opened the California Piano Supply Co. in 1927.  Because the neighborhood wasn’t an ideal location for a piano store, he relied on gimmicks to lure customers to his location. However, one of his attention grabbing ploys backfired in 1929, when he was arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail after neighbors filed charges against him for playing his radio over loudspeakers at random times during the day and night. The sentence was suspended after he agreed to stop disturbing the peace.

Around 1930, Manning added a large piano, measuring 40 feet high and 25 feet long, to the front of his store. Visitors had to walk under it to enter his showroom.^

Historical Notes

The giant red piano received national attention, and became one of Los Angeles’s most recognizable icons of the 20th century. Ripley’s advertised it, and the New Yorker magazine once described it as “evidence of Southern California’s special brand of madness.” But Manning didn’t rely solely on his red piano to lure customers. He continued to host remote radio broadcasts, concerts, and free piano lessons for customers.^

Historical Notes

In 1966, Manning sold his business to another music company, who continued to operate it as Manning’s Big Red Piano Shop for four more years. The Refrigeration Equipment Co. then bought the property in 1970 and merged several buildings together to form a 150 foot showroom for its appliances.

In 1972, a fire broke out in an adjacent wood-framed building that Manning once used as a repair shop, warehouse and office. Although the piano survived the fire, the Los Angeles Building and Safety Department declared that it had to be knocked down.

In 1973, property owner Robert Taylor (not the movie star), tried to donate the piano to a historic and preservation organization, providing that the organization move the piano to a safe location. No organization accepted his offer.

Eventually, a pop-architectural buff named Tom Sewell arranged for the piano to be moved 12 miles west to Venice, CA. The move was successful. However, when the contractor tried lowering the unsupported three-legged piano onto a new, specially-fitted concrete base, the piano broke into fragments and was lost.

Historical Notes

People still fondly remember the Currie’s chain and its “mile-high cone” whose replica was often displayed billboard-style on roofs. The chain was started in 1927 by three brothers named Kuhns. After WWII they sold it to the Good Humor Company who later sold it to Lipton in the 1960s. In 1964 the chain opened its 87th store, in North Hollywood. Although Currie’s anticipated launching units in every community in Southern California, only three outlets were listed in the 1967 Los Angeles phone book and the chain had disappeared by the 1980s. ^##

Historical Notes

The National Kanteen Co built two of these eye-catching Mangnus Root Beer drive-in restaurants in Hollywood in 1929 including the one seen above.

Historical Notes

The National Kanteen Company was based in Oakland. An Oakland Tribune article dated January 27, 1929 talks about the new chain of Magnus Root Beer Restaurants (aka Kanteen Stations): “Kanteen stations are rapidly being built in various parts of California….the buildings are unique in that the top of the cylinder affords a complete ladies’ dressing room. The floor plans allow for counter, booth and car service by one person. Each feature in the building is specifically designed to render kanteen quick service. The stations are 100 per cent electrically equipped by California manufacturers. All equipment is bout in California.”*

Historical Notes

Click HERE for contemporary view of the NE corner of Beverly and Alta Vista where the Twin Barrels Cafe once stood.

Historical Notes

Michael D. Connolly, the original owner/builder, was a film technician for Universal Studios, creating daily rushes for movie directors.  In 1940, he acquired the land in North Hollywood for his Café and Tap Room, less than two miles from the studio.  Connolly and his wife Irene would live above their new venture in a small apartment built into the head of the barrel, completed in 1941.  On December 7, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor and Michael enlisted as a cook in the Merchant Marines.  Upon his return he and Irene divorced.  Irene continued running the café into the 1960s.  Late in that decade it was renamed Rudy’s Keg.*+*

Historical Notes

In 1971, the building was purchased by renouned flamenco dancers Jose and Dolores Fernandez.  The pair redecorated the dining room to create a dinner theater called La Caña.  The restaurant closed in 1984 but Dolores continued to live in the upstairs apartment until 2009. The building would be shuttered for over 27 years.  #*#*

Historical Notes

In 2010, the City of Los Angeles designated the Programmatic-style building Historic-Cultural Monument No. 977. The following year the "1933 Group" purchased the property and by 2015 the fully restored barrel-shaped building would once again open as the Hour Café.

Historical Notes

The barrel was actually once a more common type of mimetic architecture; local examples included The Barrel Inn, 1525 San Fernando, 1927; Twin Barrel Drive-in, 7200 Beverly Blvd., 1932, Giant Barrel, Los Angeles, 1935; as well as other exmaples around the country.  The Idle Hour is the last remaining barrel-shaped structure in the Los Angeles area.*

Historical Notes

Los Angeles is home to the original Darkroom. The shop, which is located at 5370 Wilshire Boulevard, was built under the direction of Marcus P. Miller in the 1930s at the height of the California Programmatic movement.

The Darkroom camera shop is one of the most famous examples of mimetic or programmatic architecture. The Walt Disney Company recently built replicas of this building at their Hollywood, Paris, and Orlando amusement parks. While the freestanding neon letters were installed on a ledge above the Darkroom, the real sign was the facade itself. The storefront is a nine-foot-tall representation of a contemporary 35mm camera. The camera's body is faced with black Vitrolite glass and surrounded with glass block. Clear glass was used on both sides of the lens for display windows. *^*

Historical Notes

The real life inspiration behind the architecture is an Argus 35mm camera.

Historical Notes

The Darkroom closed in the late 1970s, and the building has since been used by several restaurants (El Toro Cantina, Punjab Cuisine, and La Boca del Conga Room). When it was occupied by El Toro Cantina, an aquarium was installed behind the storefront and swimming fish were visible (and still are) in the display windows from the street.

Historical Notes

In 2014, the building's new occupant was the Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern. The aquarium is still there. The facade itself is a protected landmark. Of the freestanding letters, all but the "K" were saved and are on display at the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles.#^*

Historical Notes

The Shutter Shak was originally built in 1976 and housed a photo developing business that advertised one day developing. Once located on 15336 Goldenwest Avenue, south of Bolsa Avenue, it has since been moved to the Blakey Historical Park on Westminster Boulevard and now houses a small camera museum inside it.

Historical Notes

Designed by architect Milton Black, the stand opened at La Cienega and Beverly boulevards in June 1946 to luminary-studded, searchlight-lit fanfare. Eddie Blake purchased the Pup in the early 1970s from its celebrity owners, the dance team of Veloz and Yolanda.*^

Historical Notes

The Tail o' the Pup was a “hey-you-can’t miss-me!” type building, which pulled automobile drivers right off the road.

Historical Notes

Despite its appearance in countless movies and commercials, the stand faced demolition in the mid-1980s, creating an outcry that resulted in the stand being moved a few yards from its original location at 311 North La Cienega Boulevard, to 329 North San Vicente Boulevard.

Historical Notes

In December 2005, the Pup was evicted and it moved into a Torrance warehouse after Regent Properties, a development company, purchased the Pup's site from landlord Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and announced plans to build 152 condominium and apartment units. As of December 2012, construction had not started and the site remained a parking lot.

Owners Dennis and Eddie Blake plan to reopen the Tail o' the Pup once a suitable location is found, possibly in West Hollywood.

The City of Los Angeles has since declared Tail o’ the Pup to be a cultural landmark.

Historical Notes

The Fish Shanty, owned by the Smith Bros, was established on La Cienega in 1950.  It was known to Los Angeles residents as "that place where you walked through the whale's mouth."  The popular fish restaurant was anchored at the southwest corner of the La Cienega Boulevard, Burton Way, and San Vicente intersection in an area known as Restaurant Row.

Historical Notes

The above clip was taken from the British black comedy called The Loved One, starring: Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer,  Rod Steiger,  John Gielgud, and Liberace.

The jaws of the Shanty’s whale façade was made out of thousands of tiny, ocean-blue, midcentury mosaic tiles that sparkled during sundown like the crest of an effervescent wave.*^#

Historical Notes

The Fish Shanty was demolished after a fire during the early 90s and was replaced by a car dealership. Today a new apartment building has taken its place built by Rick Caruso that also includes a Trader Joe's.

Historical Notes

Russell C. Wendell, a doughnut machine salesman, created the Big Donut Drive-in. There were 10 locations, built over the course of the 1950s. At least five Big Donuts survive: they are Kindle's Donuts in unincorporated Westmont (this is the original location, built in 1950), (2) Randy's Donuts in Inglewood near LAX, the Donut King II in Gardena (3), Dale's Donuts in Compton (5), and Bellflower Bagels in Bellflower (8). Each features the distinctive giant doughnut constructed of rolled steel bars covered with gunite, a material used in swimming pools. Five Big Donuts have been demolished. They were located in Culver City (4), North Hollywood (6), Inglewood, on Imperial Hwy, 7), Van Nuys (9) and Reseda (10).

The building style dates to a period in the early 20th century that saw a proliferation of Programmatic Architecture throughout Southern California. This style had its heyday from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s. By the 1950s however, the trend of designing structures in the shape of the product sold there had changed to focus on signs rather than architecture itself.*^

Historical Notes

The donut shop was reportedly designed by Henry J. Goodwin as the second of ten locations for Russell C. Wendell’s now-defunct Big Donut Drive-In Chain, and was completed in 1953. Several others still survive, but this one (now Randy’s Donuts) is the best known.

At least five Big Donuts survive: they are Kindle's Donuts in unincorporated Westmont (this is the original location, built in 1950), (2) Randy's Donuts in Inglewood near LAX, the Donut King II in Gardena (3), Dale's Donuts in Compton (5), and Bellflower Bagels in Bellflower (8). Each features the distinctive giant doughnut constructed of rolled steel bars covered with gunite, a material used in swimming pools. Five Big Donuts have been demolished. They were located in Culver City (4), North Hollywood (6), Inglewood, on Imperial Hwy, 7), Van Nuys (9) and Reseda (10).

Historical Notes

This location, the last to open in the Big Do-Nut chain, also had the smaller, 23-foot donut, mounted on a pole. The site is now a 76 gas station.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Russel Wendell, who opened the 10 Big Do-Nuts in the Los Angeles area, went on to greater fame as the originator of the Pup ‘n’ Taco chain, whose first location opened in 1965.

Historical Notes

Randy’s Donuts is an unquestionable icon of 1950s Los Angeles, for obvious reasons: it is a typical mid-century drive-up restaurant with a giant donut on its roof.

Not just a giant donut—Randy’s has THE giant donut, the most famous donut in America and maybe even the world. It has appeared in innumerable television shows, music videos, and films.

The donut shop was reportedly designed by Henry J. Goodwin as the second of ten locations for Russell C. Wendell’s now-defunct Big Donut Drive-In Chain, and was completed in 1953. Several others still survive, but Randy’s in Inglewood is the best known.

The building itself is a fairly unremarkable if admirably intact Mid-Century Modern drive-up food stand, and it may not technically count as Programmatic architecture (in which a building looks like the item it hawks). But the donut on its roof is just so large, so uncompromising, so demanding of our attention that we’ll look the other way and consider Randy’s a Programmatic design.*

Historical Notes

The restaurant has seen three owners: 1) Russell Wendell, who created the Big Donut Drive-in chain in the 1950s; 2) Robert Eskow who purchased it in the mid-1970s and made it part of his Randy’s chain of sandwich shops; 3) Ron and Larry Weintraub who took over in 1978 (Weintraubs and Eskows are related).*

Historical Notes

In 1950, in a burst of post-war enterprise, a young doughnut machine salesman named Russell C. Wendell opened a small store on S. Normandie and Century Blvd in South Central L.A. which he called the Big Donut Drive-in.  In order to get attention he mounted a gigantic doughnut on the roof, measuring 32 ½ feet in diameter.  It was made of rolled steel bars, covered with gunnite, a material used in building swimming pools- basically mortar sprayed through a hose at ultra-high velocity.  He painted his Big Donut name across the front and Boom! Instant business success.  This Big Donut is still in existence, having gone through many ownership changes.  It was re-named Kindle’s in 1977 when a baker named Gary Kindle purchased this location.  It has kept its second name even though the owners have since changed. ^

Historical Notes

The first Donut Hole opened in 1963, in La Puente, California. According to one source, the shop in La Puente was the second to open, in 1968, and was followed by three others. However, various sources disagree and date the building's original construction from 1947 to 1958 to 1962. What is certain is that the donut chain went out of business in 1979. *

Historical Notes

The La Puente Donut Hole was purchased by the Lopez family in 1979 and remained in the family until 2003. The Covina branch was completely remodeled and the others were demolished, and only the La Puente location remains today as a working bakery.*

Click HERE for another Contemporary View.

Historical Notes

The sign was created by sculptor Gagik Daniel in 1998 and features a life-sized replica of a 1957 hot pink Corvette sitting on top of a giant yellow sponge held by a slightly larger-than-life fiberglass hand.

Historical Notes

The imaginative eye-catching signage survived despite the opposition of the Studio City Residents Association and the City of Los Angeles.  The sign was too tall (6 ft.) and too close to the street (8½ ft.), and built without a permit.  To remedy the situation, the sign was moved and its height reduced by slicing the wrist.

Historical Notes

Studio City Hand Car Wash, with its famous 3-dimensional sign, is now an institution on Ventura Boulevard. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Designed by local architect Robert V. Derrah, Crossroads of the World is one of Los Angeles' most recognizable properties. The Hollywood complex was completed in 1936 and conceived as a cosmopolitan shopping center featuring merchandize from around the globe.

Oriented around a centralized Streamline Moderne structure, Crossroads of the World was envisioned as a hub of pedestrian activity.

The complex features a programmatic nautical theme, paired with architectural styles found around the world.
Derrah designed the central building, which faces Sunset Boulevard, in the form of a ship, which "sails" down an international street lined with shops. (Los Angeles Conservancy)

Historical Notes

In addition to Crossroads, architect Robert V. Derrah was responsible for a number of significant commissions in Los Angeles during the 1930s. Many of his buildings were designed in the Streamline Moderne style, including the Coca-Cola Building (1939). He also designed an addition to John and Donald Parkinson's Southern California Gas Company Complex (1942) and contributed to the Fairfax Farmers Market (1934).

In the 1940s and '50s, Crossroads began its transition from shopping center to office complex, housing such tenants as the Screen Actors Guild, Standard Oil, and American Airlines.

In January 2019, the Los Angeles City Council approved a project to revamp the Crossroads of the World in a move to revitalize the district. Three high-rise buildings are planned to bring 950 apartments and condos, a 308-room hotel, and 190,000 square feet of commercial space. Preservationists called the redevelopment project a "Manhattanization of Hollywood". Eighty-two Hollywood Regency garden apartments are to be demolished in the project.These rent stabilized apartments are occupied by a decades-old, tight-knit community of largely low-income, predominantly Latino residents. Over 100 apartments in the project will be set aside for very low-income families.*

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Crossroads of the World.

Historical Notes

The Coca Cola Building is a Coca-Cola bottling plant modeled as a Streamline Moderne building designed by architect Robert V. Derrah with the appearance of a ship with portholes, catwalk and a bridge from five existing industrial buildings in 1939.*^

Historical Notes

The Coca-Cola Building was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 138 in 1975 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

Robert V. Derrah’s Coca-Cola Company Bottling Headquarters is a stunning expression of Streamline Modern style, a later branch of the Art Deco movement, featuring curving forms, long horizontal lines, and nautical influence.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument was remodeled from five older warehouses into a Streamline style ocean liner by architect Robert V. Derrah in 1936.

Historical Notes

Constructed in 1987, according to An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles, it was designed in the Programmatic style of architecture, although it's unclear if a Cadillac dealership ever actually occupied the space. Lee Oakes of architectural firm Matlin and Dvoretzky designed the two-story building for developer CBS Realcorp.

Historical Notes

The building has angular corner turrets like the jutting front fenders of a ca. 1970 Caddy, punctuated by four “headlights” of circular neon, central windows arranged like a radiator grill, and first-floor masonry walls painted black to look like tires. It was designed expressly to draw attention to the block, and that it does, in a way that could not be more weirdly appropriate to its Ventura Boulevard setting.*

Tragically, the building's stucco finish is currently painted a subdued white, a far cry from its original shocking pink.*

Historical Notes

The Binoculars Building, originally the Chiat/Day Building, is a commercial building located in Venice which incorporates the public artwork "Giant Binoculars" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen on its street-facing facade.  Built between 1991 and 2001 for advertising agency Chiat/Day (now TBWA\Chiat\Day) as its West Coast corporate headquarters, it was designed by Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry, and was his last project in Los Angeles until the Walt Disney Concert Hall began construction in 1999.

The Binoculars Building is notable for the three different styles used in the main facade on Main Street, particularly the massive "Giant Binoculars" sculpture covering both a car and pedestrian entrance. The entrance to the parking garage is between the lenses of the binoculars.

Historical Notes

In January 2011, W. P. Carey & Co. announced Google was leasing 100,000 square feet of space in the building and two neighboring buildings, part of a major expansion to establish a larger employment presence in Los Angeles.*^