The Public Realm | Los Angeles Conservancy
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

As Los Angeles County's growth exploded after World War II and neighborhoods and cities sprang up where there were none before, architecture became critical in creating a sense of community and meeting the needs of everyday life.

Museums, schools, churches, libraries, civic centers, banks, hospitals, parks, and entertainment venues were important symbols of place and identity. Architects had the rare opportunity to help create the building blocks of life for a booming population.

Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

University Elementary School

Neutra & Alexander
With the school's philosophy of "learning by doing" in mind, the two sections of the campus sit on either side of a ravine, leaving the natural space undisturbed for use as a learning environment.
Valley Beth Shalom
Photo by Jessica Hodgdon/L.A. Conservancy

Valley Beth Shalom

Howard R. Lane
A sweeping Mid-Century Modern design of brick, glass, and concrete designed by Encino architect Howard R. Lane and including a cornerstone quarried on Mt. Zion.
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

Warner Center

Various
A 1.5 square-mil planned community first envisioned as a mass-transit oriented neighborhood with residences, shopping, park, hospital, Metro rail, and a small cluster of skyscrapers some call "the downtown of the valley."
Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

Wayfarers Chapel

Lloyd Wright
This iconic chapel is a one-of-a-kind expression of Organic Modern architecture.
West Covina City Hall
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

West Covina City Hall

Neptune & Thomas Associates
A response to West Covina's massive postwar growth and an expression of the desire for modern, accessible public facilities, West Covina City Hall is much more open and welcoming than most Brutalist designs.
West Los Angeles Civic Center
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

West Los Angeles Civic Center

Allison & Rible
Albert Criz
Built between 1957 and 1965, the civic center reflects the postwar growth of municipal services and the general optimism of the period, exemplified by its eye-catching Mid-Century Modern design.
Westside Pavilion
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

Westside Pavilion

Jon Jerde & Partners
Designed to evoke the feeling of an open-air European shopping district, the Westside Pavilion was initially met with great resistance from local residents but has since become an integral part of the West L.A. landscape.

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Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. - An Initiative of the Getty

Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A. is part of Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. This collaboration, initiated by the Getty, brings together seventeen cultural institutions from April through July 2013 for a wide-ranging look at the postwar built environment of the city as a whole, from its famous residential architecture to its vast freeway network, revealing the city’s development and ongoing impact in new ways. Major support for this project has been provided by the Getty Foundation. pacificstandardtimepresents.org.