The Eastern Columbia Building, designed by Claud Beelman, opened on September 12, 1930, after just nine short months of construction. It was built as the new headquarters of the Eastern Outfitting Company and the Columbia Outfitting Company, furniture and clothing stores. With the construction of this lavish structure, the companies could also boast one of the largest buildings constructed in downtown until after WWII. Located in the Broadway Theatre and Commercial District, the Eastern Columbia Building is thirteen stories high. It is built of steel-reinforced concrete and clad in glossy turquoise terra cotta trimmed with deep blue and gold terra cotta.

The building’s vertical emphasis is accentuated by deeply recessed bands of paired windows and spandrels with copper panels separated by vertical columns.

The Art Deco style façade is decorated with a wealth of motifs—sunburst patterns, geometric shapes, zigzags, chevrons, and stylized animal and plant forms. The building is capped with a four-sided clock tower emblazoned with the name Eastern in neon and crowned with a central smokestack surrounded by four stylized flying buttresses. The sidewalks surrounding the Broadway and Ninth Street sides of the building are of multi-colored terrazzo laid in dynamic patterns of zigzags and chevrons. The central main entrance has a spectacular recessed two-story vestibule adorned with a blue and gold terra cotta sunburst. The vestibule originally led to a pedestrian retail arcade running through the center of the building.

This downtown landmark underwent a $30 million conversion in 2006, creating 140 luxury condominiums known as the Eastern Columbia Lofts. As part of this conversion, the developer entered into a Mills Act contract that remains in effect to this day. It earned a 2008 Conservancy Preservation Award.

The Eastern Columbia Building has long been recognized for its architectural and historical significance. In 1979, the National Park Service listed it as a contributing building to the Broadway Theater and Commercial Historic District. In 1985, it was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

By 2016, the building’s exterior terra cotta cladding showed signs of severe deterioration, exhibiting severe chalking, discoloration, and spalling. This damage led to water infiltration, affecting the building’s structure, cladding anchorage, and the interiors of homeowner units. In response, the Eastern Columbia Lofts Homeowners Association (HOA) Board of Directors engaged Wiss, Janney, Elstner (WJE) Associates to assess and address these issues.

In 2023, the restoration project began, focusing on terra cotta repair and replacement. The project included the replacement of 900 individual terra cotta units and the restoration of over 5,000 units. A key aspect of the restoration was color-matching the building’s signature shades of turquoise. The project also included mortar joint replacement and measures to address water infiltration, returning the exterior to its original condition. The repairs and interventions incorporated by the project were developed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, resolving conditions of water infiltration and associated structural deterioration and restoring the exterior wall assembly to a robust barrier while preserving the building’s architectural integrity.

The Eastern Columbia Lofts stands today as a testament to the positive impact of adaptive reuse on the surrounding community. The Mills Act program provides individual homeowners with a stake in the building’s preservation by offering tax benefits. The completed restoration has ensured that the Eastern Columbia Building remains a vibrant landmark, contributing to the ongoing revitalization of the Broadway Theatre District. This investment has not only preserved an architectural icon but also strengthened the neighborhood, ensuring that it continues to be a focal point for Angelenos and visitors alike.

The Conservancy awarded the Eastern Columbia Lofts rehabilitation project a 2008 and 2025 Preservation Award.

The Eastern Columbia Building is also featured in the Conservancy’s Art Deco Walking Tour, which highlights the stunning architecture of downtown Los Angeles.