DK Travel : Los Angeles : Architecture

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Bradbury Building

The light-flooded atrium of this 1893 office building, with its open-cage elevators, frilly iron work, and marble floors, is one LA’s supreme architectural landmarks. Architect George Wyman allegedly accepted the job only after consulting a Ouija board. Movie buffs might recognize it from Blade Runner and Chinatown .
Broadway Historic Theater District

During the silent film era, Broadway was the movie district. The façades of the movie palaces are marvels of the imagination.
Bunker Hill Steps

Cascading down from Hope Street to Fifth Street, these steps have many attractive features, including an amazing sculpture of a female nude by Robert Graham (see Wells Fargo Court).
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Behind the fortresslike exterior of LA’s new cathedral, designed by José Rafael Moneo, awaits a minimalist hall of worship where the lack of right angles and supporting pillars creates a sense of spacious loftiness. You don’t have to be a Roman Catholic to appreciate the lovely tapestries of the nave, depicting dozens of saints.
Chemosphere

John Lautner’s bold, often experimental architectural style is perfectly exemplified in this unique private home in the Hollywood Hills. Resembling a flying saucer on a single concrete column, it was built in 1960, the same year President John F. Kennedy launched the challenge to put a man on the moon. The house was featured in Brian de Palma’s 1984 movie Body Double .
Chiat/Day Building

Reflecting architect Frank Gehry’s sculptural approach to architecture, this 1991 building was commissioned by the advertising firm Chiat/Day as its West Coast corporate headquarters. It has as its center a three-story tall pair of binoculars designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The pile of angled rust-colored columns on the right resembles a deconstructed forest.
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant

This Streamline Moderne building, located in an industrial area, resembles an ocean liner, complete with porthole windows. Two giant Coke bottles guard the corners.
Eastern Columbia Building

This former furniture and clothing store from 1930 stands out for its bright turquoise terra-cotta mantle decorated with patterns.
Fine Arts Building

Behind the richly detailed façade of this 1927 building awaits an amazing galleried lobby in Spanish Renaissance style.
Gamble House

This stunning Pasadena Craftsman bungalow marks the pinnacle of the career of Charles and Henry Greene. Built in 1908 as the retirement home of David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble family, the house has a beautiful garden, wide terraces, and open sleeping porches.