Metropolitan Los Angeles has numerous iconic buildings representing architectural styles utilized since the founding of El Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1781. This innovative SDG will not only study and discuss these styles but will also visit iconic exemplars for additional in-person viewing. The core book was written by eminent architectural historians, originally as a guide for the Society of Architectural Historians that was meeting in LA in 1964. Many professionals in the field have considered the core book, now in its fully revised 6th edition, the standard reference in the field. The field trips will be significantly longer than the standard two hours and involve carpooling, public transportation, and walking.
WEEKLY DISCUSSIONS & FIELD TRIPS
1. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): A BRIEF HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES ARCHITECTURE, WHAT IS GONE, AND THE BEST OF WHAT REMAINS.
2. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): PASADENA’S ARCHITECTURE. Pasadena is an architecturally rich area. This session will focus on the Craftsman and Spanish Renaissance (aka Spanish Colonial Revival) styles found in the Central and North Arroyo Seco neighborhoods and on the renowned Greene & Greene architects, who designed many iconic Craftsman buildings. Other architecturally important sites will be covered briefly, e.g., Art Deco (Union Savings Bank Building), Bungalow style (Bungalow Heaven), Victorian style (various residences), and mixes of European and Colonial styles (Lombardy Road estate homes).
3. FIELD TRIP TO PASADENA: TOUR OF GAMBLE HOUSE (BY GREENE & GREENE), WALK AROUND CITY HALL ENVIRONS (WITH SPANISH COLONIAL REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE), AND DRIVE PAST OTHER ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT LOCATIONS. The SDG will convene at the Gamble house for a docent led tour of the iconic craftsman house and then drive to and walk around City Hall and its environs to view Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. A map will be provided for driving past and viewing (from the outside) select other architecturally significant landmarks. This trip entails a modest fee (about $12-$15) for the docent’s tour. The coordinator and co-coordinator will facilitate carpooling.
4. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): CIVIC CENTER AND NEARBY BUNKER HILL (PART ONE). The once dilapidated neighborhood of Bunker Hill was replaced with Disney Concert Hall, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, other cultural facilities, and tall modern office buildings. Master planning for the Civic Center began about a century ago, and the plans were repeatedly revised. The Civic Center includes the iconic City Hall and the Music Center. The Department of Water and Power building and the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angeles stand across the street from the Civic Center. This first of two sessions will focus on the Art Deco style (City Hall) and Modern style (Music Center, Department of Water and Power building, high rise office buildings). There will be some discussion of the development and redevelopment of Bunker Hill, and the innovation allowing the skyscraper, and the architect Louis Sullivan, who is known as the father of the skyscraper.
5. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): CIVIC CENTER AND NEARBY BUNKER HILL (PART TWO). This second session will focus on the Contemporary Style (Disney, Broad, Cathedral). There will be some discussion of the architects Frank Gehry (Disney Hall) and Diller Scofido + Renfro aka DS+R (Broad).
6. FIELD TRIP TO CIVIC CENTER AND NEARBY BUNKER HILL: GUIDED TOUR OF DISNEY CONCERT HALL; WALKING TOUR TO SEE THE BROAD, THE MUSIC CENTER, THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER BUILDING & THE CIVIC CENTER; AND A VISIT TO LOS ANGELES CATHEDRAL. The SDG will convene at the 17th St/Santa Monica College [Colorado] station of the LA Metro E Line, take the light rail to the Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill station, then walk to the cited locations. The Disney Concert Hall self-guided tour requires a smart phone with earphones or ear buds and might require a modest fee ($10). The Hall no longer provides docent tours to the public.
7. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): UCLA AND WESTWOOD. The Janss Investment Company developed Westwood, including Westwood Village, beginning in the 1920s and lobbied the University of California to relocate its Southern Campus (now UCLA) to land just north of the Village. Over the decades, buildings were constructed in a variety of architectural styles. This discussion will focus on the following styles: Northern Italian Romanesque Revival (Royce Hall), Gothic (Kerckhoff Hall), Spanish Revival (La Ronda de las Estrellas Building), California Ranch (Faculty Center), Modernist (Bunche Hall), International (Portola Plaza Building) and Brutalist (Boyer Hall).
8. FIELD TRIP TO UCLA AND WESTWOOD. The SDG will convene at Plato’s office in Westwood and walk through the Village and the campus to view the relevant buildings and remnants of the master plans.
9. DISCUSSION (GAYLEY): GETTY CENTER AND VILLA. This discussion will focus on the Contemporary style Getty Center; the Getty Villa, which is modeled after an ancient Roman villa, the Villa of the Papyri; and the gardens of both.
10. FIELD TRIP TO GETTY CENTER AND (IF TIME PERMITS) GETTY VILLA. The SDG will convene at Plato’s office in Westwood and carpool first to the Getty Center and then to the Getty Villa. We will try to arrange docent guided tours focusing on the architecture and gardens. SDG members should have a smart phone with earphones or ear buds and download the Getty app.
CORE BOOK
Gebhard, D. and Winter, R., An Architectural Guidebook To Los Angeles, fully revised 6th edition, pp. 576, Angel City Press (2018). This is the long-standing standard reference on the subject and is organized into thirteen geographic chapters and ninety-five sections that generally include short introductory comments .
WEEK 1
(Core book) Gebhard and Winter, “A Brief History of Los Angeles Architecture”, pp. 15-27
(Article) Curbed Los Angeles, “An illustrated guide to Los Angeles architecture” (2018)
(Article) The Spruce, “15 of the Most Popular Architectural Styles in History” (Jul 11, 2023)
(Article) LA Weekly, “L.A.’s 10 most iconic buildings that have been destroyed” (2017)
(Article) Architectural Digest, “24 Must-See Architectural Landmarks In Los Angeles” (2016)
(Article) Curbed Los Angeles, “The 20 most iconic buildings in Los Angeles, mapped” (2018)
WEEK 2
(Core book) Gebhard and Winter, sections on Pasadena Region, Pasadena—Central, Pasadena—North Arroyo Seco, pp. 368-383, 394-399.
(Article) Architectural Digest, “Craftsman House: Everything You Need To Know” (Nov 29, 2023).
(Article) Wikipedia, “Greene and Greene”.
(Article) The Spruce, “What is Spanish Colonial Architecture?” (Dec 1, 2023).
(Article) Wikipedia, “Spanish Colonial Revival architecture”.
(Pamphlet) Verikoff, A., “Explore Pasadena Architecture” (nd)
WEEK 3
No additional reading is required.
WEEK 4
(Core book) Gebhard and Winter, sections on Heart of the City, Civic Center (but not Little Tokyo), Downtown Center (p.54 only)
(Article) The Spruce, “What Is Art Deco Architecture?” (Mar 4, 2022)
(Article) The Spruce, “What is Modern Architecture” (No 26, 2023)
(Article) Wikipedia, “Skyscraper”
(Article) Buildings DB wikiarquitectura, “Los Angeles City Hall” (nd)
(Article) PBS SoCal/KCET, “Rediscovering Downtown L.A.'s Lost Neighborhood of Bunker Hill” (Jul 11, 2012)
WEEK 5
(Article) Wikipedia, “Contemporary Architecture”
(Article) The Spruce, “What Is Contemporary Architecture?” (Sep 12, 2022)
(Article) LA Phil website, “Building an Icon: The Story of Walt Disney Concert Hall”
(Article) Wikiarchitectura,”Los Angeles Cathedral” (nd)
(Article) Wikipedia, “Walt Disney Concert Hall”
(Article) Wikipedia, “The Broad”
(Article) Architect, “Inside Diller Scofidio + Renfro's Broad Museum” (Sep 1, 2015)
(Article) Architectural Digest, “33 Spectacular Buildings Designed by Frank Gehry” (Sep 25, 2023)
WEEK 6
No additional reading is required.
WEEK 7
(Core book) Gebhard and Winter, “A Brief History of Los Angeles Architecture”, pp. 231-245
(Article) The Spruce, “What Is Gothic Revival Architecture?” (Nov 23, 2023)
(Article) Architectural Digest, “Brutalist Architecture: Everything You Need to Know” (Jul 12, 2023)
(Article) Encyclopaedia Britannica, “International Style Architecture” (nd)
(Article) WSSM Homeowners Association, “ONCE UPON A TIME IN WEST LOS ANGELES” (Aug 22, 2023)—from the beginning through the Westwood Hills section
(Article) UCLA Luskin Conference Center Blog, “The Story of UCLA’s Hidden Bridge” (Apr 6, 2018)
WEEK 8
No additional reading is required.
WEEK 9
(Core book) Gebhard and Winter, “A Brief History of Los Angeles Architecture”, p.300
(Article) #MUSEUMPALOOZA, “ARCHITECTURE SPOTLIGHT: THE GETTY CENTER” (Mar 13, 2017)
(Article) Wikipedia, “Getty Center”, section on “Architecture”
(Article) Los Angeles Conservancy, “Getty Villa”
WEEK 10
No additional reading is required.