Los Angeles City Hall
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Los Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the tallest base isolated structure in the world. It is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California. It houses the mayor's office[1] as well as the meeting chambers of the Los Angeles City Council[2]. It is located in the Civic Center district of Downtown Los Angeles in the city block bordered by Main, Temple, 1st, and Spring streets.
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[edit] History
The building was designed by John Parkinson, John C. Austin, and Albert C. Martin, and was completed in 1928. It has 32 floors and, at 454 feet (138 m) high, is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world, having undergone a seismic retrofit that will allow the building to sustain minimal damage and remain functional after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake.[4]. The concrete in its tower was made with sand from each of California's 58 counties and water from its 21 historical missions.[5]. The city hall's distinctive tower was based on the purported shape of the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and shows the influence of the Los Angeles Public Library, completed soon before the City Hall was started. An image of City Hall has been on Los Angeles Police Department badges since 1940.[6]
Due in part to seismic concerns, prior to the late 1950s the City of Los Angeles did not permit any portion of any building other than a purely decorative tower to be more than 150 feet (46 m) high.[citation needed] Therefore, from its completion in 1928 until 1964, the City Hall was the tallest building in Los Angeles, and shared the skyline with only a few structures having decorative towers, including the Richfield Tower and the Eastern Columbia Building.
The building was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1976.[7]
[edit] Usage
An observation level is open to the public on the 27th floor. The Mayor of Los Angeles has an office in room 300 of this building and every Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays at 10:00am, the Los Angeles City Council meets in their chambers. City Hall and the adjacent federal, state, and county buildings are served by the Civic Center station on the Metro Red Line.
[edit] Popular culture
The building has featured in the following popular movies and television shows:
- Adventures of Superman - as the Daily Planet building beginning in the second season of the 1950s TV series. At the time the TV program was broadcast, the show's "Daily Planet" building (Los Angeles City Hall) was frequently confused with the similarly designed Pennsylvania Power & Light Building, also built in 1928.
- Alias - a CIA black ops unit is located behind a maintenance door at Civic Station.
- Dragnet appears as itself in the TV series .The first episode of Dragnet (1951)Season 1, Episode 1: "The Human Bomb", Original Air Date: 16 December 1951 was filmed at Los Angeles City Hall. It was embossed on Sgt. Joe Friday's famous badge number 714 that was displayed under the credits.
- The 2003 Dragnet remake - used the L.A. City Hall building aerial shot and badge throughout its introduction.
- War of the Worlds - the City Hall was destroyed in the 1953 film version (although the H.G. Wells book has the aliens attacking London, the setting was changed to Los Angeles for the film).
and also in the following other media:
- GTA:San Andreas videogame as part of the city of Los Santos.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (Japanese manga series) - the building serves as the headquarters for one of the main occupation armies of the antagonist Principality of Zeon, under Garma Zabi.
- Miss Murder, music video by the band AFI (April 2006)
[edit] Photos
 The silhouette of City Hall at sunrise |
 As seen from San Pedro and 2nd St |
 As seen from ground floor |
 Seen at night from the Walt Disney Concert Hall |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.lacity.org/mayor/myrwm.htm Mayor's Office
- ^ http://www.lacity.org/council.htm City Website
- ^ Scott, Charles Fletcher (August-September 1931). "Los Angeles on Parade". Overland Monthly 89 (8-9): 14.
- ^ Clark Construction Group, LLC
- ^ Architecture of Los Angeles City Hall - Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- ^ LAPD Badge Description, <http://www.lapdonline.org/search_results/content_basic_view/1125>
- ^ Los Angeles Department of City Planning (September 7, 2007), Historic - Cultural Monuments (HCM) Listing: City Declared Monuments, City of Los Angeles, <http://www.cityprojectca.org/ourwork/documents/HCMDatabase090707.pdf>. Retrieved on 3 June 2008
[edit] External links
- Los Angeles City Hall is at coordinates Coordinates:
| Preceded by Texaco Building |
Tallest Building in Los Angeles 1928—1968 138m |
Succeeded by Union Bank Plaza |
| Preceded by PacBell Building |
Tallest Building in California 1928—1965 138m |
Succeeded by 650 California Street |
