Architectural Highlights of the Southland

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Union Station, completed in 1939, is one of the finest examples of California mission-style architecture and one of the last of America's great rail stations. It was built with the opulence and attention to detail that characterize 1930s WPA projects, such as its cathedral-like size and richly paneled ticket lobby and waiting area. When you're strolling through these grand historic halls, it's easy to imagine the glamorous movie stars who once boarded The City of Los Angeles and The Super Chief to journey back East during the glory days of rail travel; it's also easy to picture the many heartfelt reunions between returning soldiers and loved ones following the victorious end to World War II, in the station's heyday. Movies shot here include Bugsy, The Way We Were, and Blade Runner. There's always been a restaurant in the station; the latest to occupy this unusually beautiful setting is Traxx.

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This adobe structure, built by Don Francisco Avila, is considered the oldest existing house in Los Angeles. By modern standards the home is quite small, though at the time it was the largest in the area. Although it has been heavily restored, much of the original walls survive today. It now functions as a museum with the interior having been refurbished to include a four-post bed and other furniture from the era.

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The strikingly beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall isn't just the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; it's a key element in an urban revitalization effort now underway Downtown. The Walt Disney family insisted on the best and, with an initial gift of $50 million to build a world-class performance venue, that's what they got: A masterpiece of design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, and an acoustical quality that equals or surpasses those of the best concert halls in the world. Similar to Gehry's most famous architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the concert hall's dramatic stainless-steel exterior consists of a series of undulating curved surfaces that partially envelop the entire building, presenting multiple glimmering facades to the surrounding neighborhood. Within is a dazzling 2,273-seat auditorium replete with curved woods and a dazzling array of organ pipes (also designed by Gehry), as well as Joachim Splichal's Patina restaurant, the hip Concert Hall Cafe, a bookstore, and a gift shop.

The 3 1/2-acre Concert Hall is open to the public for viewing, but to witness it in its full glory, do whatever it takes to attend a concert by the world-class Los Angeles Philharmonic. Also highly recommended are the $12 audio tours, which lead visitors through the Concert Hall's history from conception to creation. The 45-minute self-guided tour is narrated by actor John Lithgow and includes interviews with Frank Gehry, Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, among others. One big caveat is that you see just about everything except the auditorium: There's almost always a rehearsal in progress and the acoustics are so good that there's no discreet way to sneak a peek. The audio tours are available on most non-matinee days from 10am to 2pm (be sure to check their website for the monthly tour schedule).

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Built in 1928, the 27-story Los Angeles City Hall was the tallest building in the city for more than 30 years. The structure's distinctive ziggurat tower was designed to resemble the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The building has been featured in numerous films and television shows, but it is probably best known as the headquarters of the Daily Planet in the Superman TV series (or from Beverly Hills Cop, depending on your birth date). When it was built, City Hall was the sole exception to an ordinance outlawing buildings taller than 150 feet. While you're here, be sure to take the elevator to the rarely used 27th-floor Observation Deck -- on a clear day (yeah, right), you can see to Mount Wilson 15 miles away. Free docent-led tours are available at 10 and 11am Monday through Friday, and self-guided tours are available at other times. Call tel. 213/978-1995 for tour information.

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This National Historic Landmark, built in 1893 and designed by George Wyman, is Los Angeles's oldest commercial building and one of the city's most revered architectural achievements. Legend has it that an inexperienced draftsman named George Wyman accepted the $125,000 commission after communicating with his dead brother through a Ouija board. Capped by a magical five-story skylight, Bradbury's courtyard combines glazed brick, ornate Mexican tile floors, rich Belgian marble, Art Nouveau grillwork, handsome oak paneling, and lacelike wrought-iron railings -- it's one of the great interior spaces of the 19th century. The glass-topped atrium is often used as a movie and TV set; you've probably seen it before in Chinatown and Blade Runner.

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This is one of L.A.'s early architectural achievements and the third-largest library in the United States. The city rallied to save the library when arson nearly destroyed it in 1986; the triumphant restoration has returned much of its original splendor. Working in the early 1920s, architect Bertram G. Goodhue employed the Egyptian motifs and materials popularized by the discovery of King Tut's tomb, and combined them with a more modern use of concrete block to great effect. Walking tours are the best way to explore this old beauty; they're led Monday through Friday at 12:30pm, Saturday at 11am and 2pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Warning: Parking in this area can involve a heroic effort. Try visiting on the weekend and using the Flower Street parking entrance; the library will validate your ticket, and you can escape for only $2.

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This cluster of downtown high-rise glass towers is designed for conventions and has been recently renovated. It is a spacious, self-contained mini-city of guestrooms, boutiques, dance clubs, bars, restaurants and meeting rooms. One of 20 restaurants, the L.A. Prime Restaurant offers a 360-degree view of the city from the 35th floor. A floor below, the Bonavista Bar (one of seven lounges onsite) revolves around the dramatic evening vistas of the city. An indoor lake is one hint at what an extensive and classy property this is.

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This building is Los Angeles' first skyscraper. It was designed and built in 1904 by John Parkinson, who also built the Title Guarantee & Trust Building as well as numerous other downtown buildings. The structure rises 175 feet into the sky and serves as the aging patriarch of the downtown skyline. After it was built, the city of Los Angeles introduced an ordinance saying that no building could be higher than 150 feet. City officials didn't want any buildings taller than this establishment. But City Hall was an exception as was the later Transamerica Building, and countless other skyscrapers since.

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In a city not known for tall skyscrapers, this impressive structure is the indisputable centerpiece of the L.A. skyline. This, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River, stands 73-stories high and was designed in 1990 by the architectural firm of Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners. It is perhaps most famous for being the first building destroyed by the aliens in the blockbuster movie Independence Day and features prominently in every contemporary L.A. skyline picture. Presently the building houses some of the most prestigious banking and law firms in town.

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Of 13 large estates built at the turn of the century, this is one of the grandest. Built on a block-size park, this large European-style chateau was owned by oil baron Edward Doheny. Now owned by Mount St. Mary's College and used for faculty residences, the mansion has survived well over the years with few alterations. The interior is not open to the public but the exterior of the house and the surrounding estates provide a fine walk along Adams Boulevard.

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Frank Lloyd Wright, a famed architect, built Hollyhock House for Aline Barnsdall in 1923. The heritage house was handed to the city in 1927, and has been home to many organizations over the years. Located within the environs of Barnsdall Park, the house is surrounded by galleries, studios and a theater and attracts scores of visitors. The quaint village of Los Feliz is a hop, skip and jump away. Tickets for the tours can be purchased at the Municipal Art Gallery.

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Many consider Ennis-Brown House to be the most impressive of the Frank Lloyd Wright area residences. Built in 1924, Wright used Mayan art and architecture as his dominant influence for this home. It was given its current name in 1980 when then-owner, Augustus O. Brown donated the house to the Trust for Preservation of Cultural Heritage. The house has been featured dozens of times in film and television, most famously in the Ridley Scott sci-fi classic Blade Runner. Situated near Griffith Park, the house is highly visible from several area neighborhoods.

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Frank Lloyd Wright's Freeman House, built in 1924, was designed as an experimental prototype of mass-produced affordable housing. The home's richly patterned "textile-block" exterior was Wright's invention and is the most famous aspect of the home's design. Situated on a dramatic site overlooking Hollywood, Freeman House is built with the world's first glass-to-glass corner windows. Dancer Martha Graham, bandleader Xavier Cugat, art collector Galka Sheye, photographer Edward Weston, and architects Philip Johnson and Richard Neutra all lived or spent significant time at this house, which became known as an avant-garde salon. The house is currently closed for restoration; call ahead to see if it's open.

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Made world-famous in the film Rebel Without a Cause, Griffith Observatory's bronze domes have been Hollywood Hills landmarks since 1935. Closed for renovation for what seemed like forever, it finally reopened in November of 2006 after a $93-million overhaul. The central dome houses the 300-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium, where hourly screenings of a narrated half-hour projection show called "Centered in the Universe" reveal the stars and planets that are hidden from the naked eye by the city's ubiquitous lights and smog.

The observatory also features 60 space-related exhibits designed to "sparkle your imagination," the highlight being the largest astronomically accurate image ever produced -- a 20*152-foot porcelain enamel dazzler that's cleverly called "The Big Picture." It supposedly encompasses a million galaxies, but I lost count after 11. There's also a new 200-seat Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater (go Spock!), a Wolfgang Puck "Café at the End of the Universe," and several Zeiss and solar telescopes for public use both day and night.

Truth be told, most locals never actually go inside the observatory; they come to this spot on the south slope of Mount Hollywood for the unparalleled city views. On warm nights, with the lights twinkling below, this is one of the most romantic places in L.A.

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Opened in 1956, this 13-story tower, just north of the legendary intersection of Hollywood and Vine, is one of the city's most recognizable buildings. The world's first circular office building is often, but incorrectly, said to have been made to resemble a stack of 45s under a turntable stylus (it kinda does, though). Nat "King" Cole, songwriter Johnny Mercer, and other 1950s Capitol artists populate a giant exterior mural. Look down and you'll see the sidewalk stars of Capitol's recording artists (including John Lennon). In the lobby, numerous gold albums are on display.

Not Quite SOS, but . . . -- The light on the rooftop spire of the Capitol Records building flashes "H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D" in Morse code. Really, it does.

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According to a security guard, John Wayne and Redd Foxx once got into a fight here after Wayne refused to ride in the same limo as Foxx, who called the movie star a "redneck." Well, your NBC tour will probably be a bit more docile than that. The guided indoor walking tour includes a behind-the-scenes unstaged look at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno set; wardrobe, makeup, and set-building departments; and several sound studios. In fact, NBC is the only TV studio that offers the public a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of its television operation, and it's a lot less expensive than the competition's studio tours. Granted, it doesn't have the cachet of a major motion picture studio tour, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Tours depart at the top of the hour Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm, and tickets are sold at the Guest Relations Department (bring cash -- they don't take credit cards). Also, this is one of the few studio tours that doesn't have a minimum age requirement. Note: Before you make the drive to Burbank be sure to call the studio and make sure tours are being offered that day and aren't already sold out.

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During its heyday, this sprawling department store was dubbed the "Cathedral of Commerce." Opened in 1929, the Bullocks Wilshire Building was one of the most impressive consumer centers that the city had ever seen, an art deco masterpiece adorned with chrome, marble, leather and crystal. The building has since garnered a place on the National Register of Historic Places. It has now been restored and re-opened as the Law Library of the Southwestern Law School. The building is open to the public only periodically throughout the year; call the number listed below for recorded information on upcoming tours.

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This is one of the most historical homes in the entire L.A. area. Once inhabited by the Getty family, the Getty Oil Company later donated it to the city, which subsequently used it as the mayor's official home. Among others, the late Mayor Tom Bradley lived here for many years. The home is now used for receptions and meetings and is visited by hundreds of school children each year.

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This is certainly one of the more unique structures in Beverly Hills. Heavily reminiscent of Spain's master architect Antonio Gaudi, this home was built in the 1980s by art deco storeowner Don O'Neill. The house is a welcome architectural anomaly amidst the often-boring pseudo-classical style homes of Beverly Hills. Today, no tours are given, but it is still an interesting place to check out from the outside.

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One of the most fabulous homes in Beverly Hills has curiously never been inhabited by any of its stars. Constructed in 1921 by art director Harry C. Oliver and aptly nicknamed the "Witch's House," Spadena House really does look like it belongs in a fantasy world, with its jagged, peaked roof and mullioned windows. A testament to its true wackiness, the house was originally located in Culver City, but was moved because admirers frequently caused traffic problems. Unfortunately, today the house is a private residence and is not open to the public.

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This classic Frank Lloyd Wright structure is located near the O'Neill House in Beverly Hills. One of his last designs in the L.A. area, it was constructed during the 50s in what remains one of the prime shopping districts in Los Angeles. It is one of the master architect's more eccentric creations, with each part of the structure angling off in a different direction, while a circular ramp provides a cohesive center, finally leading to a jagged tower.

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The Chiat/Day Building is without a doubt one of the most eye-catching buildings in Los Angeles. A four-story pair of binoculars, which can be seen for blocks, highlights the entrance of this advertising agency's headquarters. In addition to this 1991 Frank Gehry design, the building also features a boat-shaped wing and a vaguely tree-shaped structure. The binoculars themselves house two conference rooms, with the eyepieces serving as skylights. The company does not currently offer tours. Call for details.

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A protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright and contemporary of Richard Neutra, Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler designed this innovative modern house for himself in 1921 and 1922. It's now home to the Los Angeles arm of Austria's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). The house is noted for its complicated interlocking spaces; the interpenetration of indoors and out; simple, unadorned materials; and technological innovations. Docent-guided tours are conducted at no additional charge on weekends only.

The MAK Center offers guides to L.A.-area buildings by Schindler and other Austrian architects, and presents visiting related exhibitions and creative arts programming. Call for schedules.

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The Eames house (Case Study House #8) was built as part of the Case Study House program sponsored by John Entenza's Arts and Architecture magazine. It was designed by Eero Saarinen in collaboration with the preeminent designers Charles and Ray Eames. The Case Study Houses were hugely influential on mid-century modern residential architecture; the Eames House is considered a fine specimen. The houses in this program used new building materials (often meaning steel beams) and utilized news way of organizing residential space. The grounds of this beautiful and striking house are accessible to the public. This site has been also used as a backdrop for a whole host of photo shoots over the years... the building is a star on its own at this point.

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El Alisal is a small, rugged, two-story "castle," built between 1889 and 1910 from large rocks and telephone poles purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. The architect and creator was Charles F. Lummis, a Harvard graduate, archaeologist, and writer, who walked from Ohio to California and coined the slogan "See America First." A fan of Native American culture, Lummis is credited with popularizing the concept of the "Southwest," referring to New Mexico and Arizona. He often lived the lifestyle of the Indians, and he founded the Southwest Museum (234 Museum Dr.; tel. 323/667-2000), a repository of Indian artifacts. Lummis held fabulous parties for the theatrical, political, and artistic elite; his guest list often included Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt. The outstanding feature of his house is the fireplace, which was carved by Mount Rushmore creator Gutzon Borglum. The lawn has been turned into an experimental garden of water-conserving plants.

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The huge two-story Gamble House, built in 1908 as a California vacation home for the wealthy family of Procter and Gamble fame, is a sublime example of Arts and Crafts architecture. The interior, designed by the famous Pasadena-based Greene & Greene architectural team, abounds with handcraftsmanship, including intricately carved teak cornices, custom-designed furnishings, elaborate carpets, and a fantastic Tiffany glass door. No detail was overlooked. Every oak wedge, downspout, air vent, and switch plate contributes to the unified design. Admission is by 1-hour guided tour only, which departs every 15 minutes. Tickets go on sale on tour days in the bookstore at 10am Thursday through Saturday, and at 11:30am on Sunday. No reservations are necessary, but tours are often sold out, especially on weekends by 2pm. And don't wear high heels or they'll make you put on slippers.

If you can't fit the tour into your schedule but have an affection for Craftsman design, visit the well-stocked bookstore and museum shop located in the former garage (you can also see the exterior and grounds of the house this way). The bookstore is open Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 11:30am to 5pm.

Additional elegant Greene & Greene creations (still privately owned) abound 2 blocks away along Arroyo Terrace, including nos. 368, 370, 400, 408, 424, and 440. The Gamble House bookstore can give you a walking-tour map and also conducts guided neighborhood tours by appointment.

House Hygiene -- The restoration of the Gamble House was so meticulous that workers used dental picks to scrape gunk from the home's 262 rafters.

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Founded in 1771, Mission San Gabriel Arcangel retains its original facade, notable for its high oblong windows and large capped buttresses said to have been influenced by the cathedral in Cordova, Spain. The mission's self-contained compound encompasses an aqueduct, a cemetery, a tannery, and a working winery. Within the church stands a copper font with the distinction of being the first one used to baptize a Native Californian. The most notable contents of the mission's museum are Native American paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross, done on sailcloth, with colors made from crushed desert flower petals.

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Watts became notorious as the site of riots in the summer of 1965, during which 34 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. Today, a visit to Watts is a lesson in inner-city life. It's a high-density land of gray strip malls, well-guarded check-cashing shops, and fast-food restaurants; but it's also a neighborhood of hardworking families struggling to survive in the midst of gangland. Although there's not much for the casual tourist here, the Watts Towers are truly a unique attraction, and the adjoining art gallery illustrates the fierce determination of area residents to maintain cultural integrity.

The Towers -- the largest piece of folk art created by a single person -- are colorful, 99-foot-tall cement and steel sculptures ornamented with mosaics of bottles, seashells, cups, plates, pottery, and ceramic tiles. They were completed in 1955 by folk artist Simon Rodia, an immigrant Italian tile-setter who worked on them for 33 years in his spare time. True fans of decorative ceramics will enjoy the fact that Rodia's day job was at the legendary Malibu Potteries (are those fragments of valuable Malibu tile encrusting the Towers?). Closed in 1994 due to earthquake damage, the towers were triumphantly reopened in 2001 and now attract more than 20,000 visitors annually. Tours are by request.

Note: Next to these designated Cultural Landmarks is the Art Center, which has an interesting collection of ethnic musical instruments as well as several visiting art exhibits throughout the year.

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In the late 18th century, Franciscan missionaries established 21 missions up the California coast, from San Diego to Sonoma. Each uniquely beautiful mission was built 1 day's trek from the next, along a path known as El Camino Real ("the Royal Road"), remnants of which still exist. The missions' construction marked the beginning of European settlement of California and the displacement of the Native American population. The two L.A.-area missions are located in the valleys that took their names: the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley. A third mission, San Juan Capistrano, is located in Orange County.

Established in 1797, Mission San Fernando once controlled more than 1 1/2 million acres, employed 1,500 Native Americans, and boasted more than 22,000 head of cattle and extensive orchards. The fragile adobe mission complex was destroyed several times but was always faithfully rebuilt with low buildings surrounding grassy courtyards. The aging church was replaced in the 1940s and again in the 1970s after an earthquake. The Convento, a 250-foot-long colonnaded structure dating from 1810, is the compound's oldest remaining building. Some of the mission's rooms, including the old library and the private salon of the first bishop of California, have been restored to their late-18th-century appearance. A half-dozen padres and many hundreds of Shoshone Indians are buried in the adjacent cemetery.

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This glass and steel behemoth is hard to miss. The glittering structure houses the Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church which was started in 1955 and first met at the Orange Drive-In Movie Theater. This ministry is especially well known for their "Glory of Easter" and "Glory of Christmas" specials, when they go to the extremes (loads of wild animals, humans suspended from wires, AV spectacularness) to have a real honest-to-goodness religious celebration. During the year free tours are available and the gift shop here is fully stocked. Be sure to check out the drive-in section of the parking lot where you can attend services from the comfort of your automobile.

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The seventh of the 21 California coastal missions, Mission San Juan Capistrano is continually being restored. The mix of old ruins and working buildings is home to small museum collections and various adobe rooms that are as quaint as they are interesting. The intimate mission chapel with its ornate baroque altar is still used for religious services, and the mission complex is the center of the community, hosting performing arts, children's programs, and other cultural events year-round.

This mission is best known for its swallows, which are said to return to nest each year at their favorite sanctuary. According to legend, the birds wing their way back to the mission annually on March 19, St. Joseph's Day, arriving at dawn; they are said to take flight again on October 23, after bidding the mission farewell. In reality, you'll probably see the well-fed birds here any day of the week, winter or summer.