Mole-Richardson Studio Depot (Demolished)
The former Mole-Richardson Studio Depot at 900 North La Brea Avenue was designed by master architects Morgan, Walls, and Clements. Completed in 1930 as the home of Moderncraft Laundry Company, the building most recently served as a studio supply retail store operated by the Mole-Richardson Company.
The Mole-Richardson building featured a mix of Zigzag and Classical Moderne detailing, including intricate, chevron-patterned grillwork, and represented the evolution of the Art Deco architectural style in Los Angeles. Although its central pylon tower had been removed long ago, the building retained a high degree of original design integrity.
In June 2014, the property owner demolished the building without prior public notification or review by the Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources.
Morgan, Walls, and Clements were a prolific local architectural firm known for their theater designs and commercial work from the 1920s and 30s, though the firm’s lineage spanned from 1864 to 2006 and operated under a variety of names.
The principals were Octavius Morgan, J.A. Walls, and Stiles O. Clements. The firm was responsible for the design of many notable structures, including numerous significant Art Deco designs that helped advance that architectural style in the region. These include the former Richfield Building (1928, demolished), the Dominguez-Wilshire Building (1930), and the Pellisier Building and Wiltern Theatre (1931).
