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Preservation Award Winners
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25th Annual Preservation Award Winners |
Since 1982, the Conservancy has given more than 200 Preservation Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. Recipients range from community grassroots efforts to major development projects and encompass restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, historic landscape projects, and efforts to advance preservation planning, education, or program development.
Each year's awards are selected by an independent jury of leading experts in architecture, preservation, and community development. Many thanks to our 2006 jurors: Doug Gardner (chair) of Gardner Consulting Services; Kate Bartolo of The Kor Group; Andrea Galvin of Galvin Preservation Associates Inc.; Historical Architect G. Taylor Louden, AIA; Cynthia McClain-Hill of Strategic Counsel; and Jane Usher, President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.
We presented the awards at a luncheon on Thursday, May 11 at downtown's Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles. We are very grateful to City National Bank for sponsoring the luncheon for the sixth consecutive year.
President’s Award
The J. Paul Getty Trust
This year’s President’s Award for special achievement in preservation honors The J. Paul Getty Trust for its visionary leadership and long-term commitment to the historic architecture of Los Angeles.
Through its Preserve L.A. initiative (2001-3) and ongoing architectural conservation grant competition, the Getty Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants for the conservation of landmarks throughout L.A. County. In addition, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has made possible one of the most important Los Angeles historic preservation initiatives in years: a comprehensive citywide historic resources survey, the cornerstone of any local preservation program. In 2000, the GCI determined that only fifteen percent of Los Angeles has ever been surveyed. They evaluated the potential for a survey, then partnered with the City and civic stakeholders to explore survey methods and practical applications. In 2005, the GCI committed $2.5 million for the survey, half the total funding needed.
Through these and other efforts, The J. Paul Getty Trust has demonstrated time and again its steadfast commitment not only to heeding the call, but to helping lead the way toward a true preservation ethic in Los Angeles.
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Metro 417 and Pacific Electric Lofts
Downtown L.A.’s ongoing revival received quite a boost last year from two projects that, while individually outstanding, also share strong similarities. Metro 417 and Pacific Electric Lofts are the two largest single-building adaptive reuse projects in Los Angeles. Both were massive residential conversions of former transportation hubs significant to the city’s history. The largest building west of Chicago when it opened in 1905, the Pacific Electric Building served as headquarters and transit hub for what was then the largest interurban railway in the world. Mostly vacant since 1989, the building now contains 314 live-work lofts. The 1925 Subway Terminal Building (now Metro 417) served as the eastern terminus of the Hollywood Subway for nearly thirty years. The building lost its commercial appeal over the ensuing decades, until its rebirth as 277 luxury apartments.
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Courtesy Killefer Flammang Architects |
The conversions of both buildings were very complex and difficult projects that had eluded previous developers. Both projects took great risk, vision, and commitment to complete. They both exemplify strong leadership in the real estate industry, a critical factor in the future preservation of L.A.’s landmarks. And now, they both enjoy new life as home to hundreds of residents in the vibrant community of downtown’s Historic Core.
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Wallis Annenberg Building for Science Learning and Innovation
The State Armory of the California National Guard’s 160 th Infantry has stood in L.A.’s 160-acre Exposition Park since 1912. It became threatened with demolition in the early 1990s, when the California Science Center and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) planned a new elementary school for the site. Rather than assuming this unique historic resource couldn’t be adapted for educational use, the California Science Center kept the armory in the plans, secured the necessary funding, and made this complex project work despite considerable challenges. The project team took great care in retrofitting the armory to accommodate exhibits and facilities while bringing it up to current codes and seismic standards. The result is an exciting new resource and a model of elementary education open to the entire community.
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Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Peace and Heritage Center
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Courtesy Dunbar Economic Development Corporation |
This modest residence was the boyhood home of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche (1903-1971), a remarkable man who was the first person of color to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The house had fallen into decline over the years and sat vacant for a decade, used only by squatters, taggers, gang members, and vagrants. A leader in preservation in the Central Avenue corridor, the Dunbar Economic Development Corporation rescued this “nuisance property” and adapted it as a community meeting place, house museum, and program site for the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Youth Leadership Academy. This marvelous resource now enhances the social, cultural, and physical conditions of this urban community while using the life and legacy of Dr. Bunche to inspire future generations.
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Geffen Playhouse
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Tom Bonner of Santa Monica, courtesy of Ronald Frink Architects, Inc.
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Designed by the renowned firm of Morgan, Walls, & Clements, this 1929 Spanish Medieval structure is one of the original buildings of Westwood Village. It was built as a Masonic Club for UCLA, served a number of other purposes over the decades, and has been a theater since 1975. When the time came to upgrade and expand the theater, the building’s stewards chose to protect this significant resource amid increasing development pressures. The project team carefully preserved historic features while providing state-of-the-art facilities and amenities. A three-story addition essentially recedes into the background, keeping the focus on the original building and streetscape. This elegant, understated approach has poised a great example of adaptive reuse to continue serving the community for years to come.
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Kidspace Children’s Museum
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Michelle Fitzhugh, Matt Construction |
Philanthropist and flower lover Fannie E. Morrison sponsored construction of the Horticultural Center in Pasadena’s Brookside Park, completed in 1938. The four-building complex was the first facility in the U.S. designed exclusively for flower shows. Its use declined after World War II, and it suffered from neglect and several fires, one of which destroyed one of the buildings. The property was threatened until Kidspace Children’s Museum rehabilitated the complex as its new home. The project team transformed the light, open-air structures into a modern environment while retaining their historic and visual character. Great skill, creativity, and collaboration resulted in a successful public-private partnership, a wonderful new use for a historic building, and an inspirational educational setting that cultivates young minds and, perhaps, future preservationists.
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Palomar Senior Apartments
Part of an unrealized development known as “ Flemish Village,” the stylish Palomar Hotel was built in 1924 in Hollywood. Like many 1920s hotels, the Palomar declined over the years into low-cost transitional housing – a prime candidate for demolition. A tragic arson fire in 2001 destroyed half the structure and killed resident Norma Galindo. Rather than raze what was left of the building, a public-private partnership led by the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation rallied to rebuild it. The team met enormous challenges to rehabilitate the hotel into affordable housing for seniors, turning a tragic moment into a positive asset for the community. What could easily have been reduced to a parking lot now stands tall as a symbol of neighborhood pride, successful collaboration, and the leadership of nonprofits in providing affordable housing.
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Valley Municipal Building
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| Erich Koyama Architectural Photography |
The Valley Municipal Building, also known as Van Nuys City Hall, has been a highly visible landmark since its construction in 1932. It was the tallest building in the Valley at the time and is known for its resemblance to Los Angeles City Hall. The building suffered considerable damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In addition to making seismic and safety improvements, the city restored the building’s historic features and created new facilities, such as a City Council Chamber, to encourage involvement in local government. A new public plaza transformed a once-dreary rear entrance into a focal point for the Civic Center and an inviting gathering space. This project exemplifies how civic institutions can use their historic resources to honor their history, serve their community, and inspire civic pride and participation.
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Palace Theater
Downtown Built in 1911 as the third home of the Orpheum vaudeville circuit in Los Angeles, this theater at Sixth St. and Broadway, a work of architect G. Albert Lansburgh is now the oldest remaining original Orpheum theater in the country. Loosely styled after a Florentine Renaissance palazzo, the façade of this brick and concrete structure features terra cotta flowers, fairies and theatrical masks illustrating the spirit of entertainment. Downtown developer Tom Gilmore has recently purchased the Palace and plans to re-introduce live entertainment. Photo courtesy of Tom Zimmerman |
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