Saturday, May 4, 2019, 5 p.m.
Google Playa Vista

Event Co-Chairs

Ted Hyman, Diane Keaton, Lauren King, and Wayne Ratkovich 

Event Committee

Barbara Bestor, Linda Brettler, Clare De Briere, David Kopple, Steve Matt, Sophia Nardin, Milan Ratkovich, and Atila Zekioglu 

Join us where the past meets the future—the huge hangar built in 1943 for Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose,” stunningly transformed for tech giant Google.

We’re thrilled to offer this rare chance to visit one of L.A.’s most amazing places (and that’s saying something). Six stories high and longer than two football fields, this massive building embodies vision, innovation, and the vast potential of reusing historic places.

You’ll enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while exploring extraordinary spaces, such as the atrium featuring the enigmatic art installation, “The Ghost of the Goose,” evoking the legendary airship. Dinner sponsors will be treated to an extended VIP tour, which includes the Titan Room, a replica of Howard Hughes’ private conference room, followed by an unforgettable dining experience.  

You’ll learn how a series of visionaries created, saved, and revived a landmark that you really must see to believe.  And you’ll support the Conservancy’s critical work to save historic places throughout L.A. County.

The building’s not open to the public, and event space is limited, so reserve yours now! Cocktail reservations start at $350 per person.

Questions? Want to purchase over the phone? Please contact Jenelle Pope at (213) 430-4204 or jpope@laconservancy.org.

You can also purchase through the mail using a printable sponsorship form. 

For press inquiries, please contact Lisett B. Chavarela at lchavarela@laconservancy.org.

About the Site

Legendary entrepreneur, film producer, and aviator Howard Hughes created the massive building as part of the Hughes Aircraft Company campus in what’s now Playa Vista. One of the largest wooden structures in the world, the hangar was built specifically for the manufacture of the H-4 Hercules “flying boat”—the largest aircraft ever flown.

Like the hangar, the plane was made of wood due to the shortage of materials during World War II. The Hercules became known (to Hughes’ disdain) as the “Spruce Goose,” though it was actually birch. Hughes flew it just once: in 1947, in Long Beach Harbor, for less than a minute.

After Hughes’ aircraft company left the site, Hollywood kept the building standing by using it as a soundstage for such blockbusters as Titanic and Avatar. Yet it suffered badly from neglect—until pioneering developer Wayne Ratkovich and preservation architect Brenda Levin led an ambitious rehab of the historic campus.

Named the Hercules Campus in honor of the H-4, the site has drawn a new wave of visionaries—creative and tech—who like the authentic character only history can provide. In 2018, Google moved into the Spruce Goose hangar after a wildly creative conversion led by ZGF Architects.

A hub of innovation from day one, the Spruce Goose hangar evolved beautifully to fuel new dreams, new economies, new generations—which is exactly what preservation is all about.

Donation

If you can’t attend the benefit but would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Conservancy, please enter the amount below and add it to your cart, then check out. If you have any questions, please contact Jenelle Pope at jpope@laconservancy.org or (213) 430-4204. Thank you!