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FAÇADE AT 533 S. BROADWAY |
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In August, a 1931 building at 533 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles received a dramatic, and illegal, facelift. Portions of the second-story marble façade, including a prominent intaglio (engraved design) of a classical maiden, were removed without permits. The building’s owner received a stop work order, and the matter is currently under review. Built in 1931 to house Lerner's, a women's apparel store, the building was designed by engineer Philip Barker in the Art Deco style. The next tenant, Grayson's department store, remodeled the building ca. 1944 with the present Moderne façade. The structure is part of the National Register-listed Broadway Theatre and Commercial Historic District.
This incident has renewed discussion about stiffer penalties and procedures to address the illegal demolition or alteration of historic structures in Los Angeles. The office of City Councilmember José Huizar is coordinating a working group (including Conservancy staff) to develop policy recommendations. We’ll keep you updated on this issue as it develops.
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Wilshire May Company This Streamline Moderne department store with its prominent cylindrical gold tower signals the western entrance of Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile district. The Conservancy swung into action when the May Co. building was threatened with demolition for office towers and a hotel during the early 1990s. After successfully nominating the building for City Historic-Cultural Monument status, the Conservancy worked with County officials to ensure the building's reuse by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Now LACMA West, the May Co. had a splashy reopening in 1999 when it played host to a blockbuster Van Gogh exhibit. Photo courtesy of Julius Shulman |
