Ace Hotel Los Angeles

Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Former names United Artists Theater, Texaco Building, Los Angeles University Cathedral
General information
Status Complete
Type Hotel
Theater
Location 929 South Broadway
Los Angeles, California
Coordinates 34°02′30″N 118°15′26″W / 34.0416°N 118.2571°W / 34.0416; -118.2571Coordinates: 34°02′30″N 118°15′26″W / 34.0416°N 118.2571°W / 34.0416; -118.2571
Completed 1927
Owner Chesapeake Lodging Trust[1]
Management Ace Hotel Group[1]
Height
Roof 73.76 m (242.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 13
Design and construction
Architect Walker & Eisen
Charles Howard Crane
Structural engineer Scofield Engineering Construction
References
[2][3]
United Artists Theater Building
Location 921-939 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California
Built 1927
Architect Walker & Eisen
Charles Howard Crane
Architectural style(s) Spanish Gothic Revival
Governing body Private
Designated March 20, 1991[4]
Reference no. 523

Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, originally built as the United Artists Building and later known as the Texaco Building, is a 243 ft (74 m), 13-story highrise hotel and theater building located at 937 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, California. It was the tallest building in the city for one year after its completion in 1927, and was the tallest privately owned structure in Los Angeles until 1956. Its style is Spanish Gothic, patterned after Segovia Cathedral in Segovia, Spain.

The building contains the historic United Artists Theater, the flagship theater built for the United Artists motion picture studio. The theater was later used as a church by pastors Gene Scott and his widow Melissa Scott under the name "Los Angeles University Cathedral". In October 2011, Scott's Wescott Christian Center Inc. sold the building to Greenfield Partners, a real estate investment company located in Westport, Connecticut, for $11 million.[5] It was converted to a hotel, and opened in 2014. The hotel is part of the Ace Hotels chain.

Street facade on Broadway.

United Artists Theater

The United Artists Theater was designed by the architect C. Howard Crane of the firm Walker & Eisen for the United Artists film studio formed by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.[6] The theater, a classic movie palace, was one of many constructed by United Artists and served as a major premier house. The theater occupies three floors of the 13-story building and has a 1,600-seat auditorium.[7] Like many movie theaters, the seat rows sink in toward the front of the orchestra section, so ticket holders there must look up at the stage.[8]

Cinema-theatre-church marquee and entrance.

Los Angeles University Cathedral period

The building was first leased by Gene Scott in 1989, to be used as the location from which to broadcast the live Sunday services of his ministry. Scott held his first Sunday service there in 1990 and continued to hold Sunday services there until his death in 2005. A designated historic monument in itself, the building was for many years topped by the historic "Jesus Saves" neon signs (originally from the Church of the Open Door). They were located in the rear lower roof, one facing the west and one north, until September 10, 2011, when one sign was removed by crane. The building was claimed to house the largest collection of Bibles in private hands. After leasing for thirteen years, Gene Scott purchased the building in 2002. Following Scott's death, services continued to be held at the Los Angeles University Cathedral by Melissa Scott, the widow of Gene Scott, with services broadcast over TV, shortwave radio, and the Internet.

Ace Hotel conversion

The building has been completely restored and renovated to serve as a luxury boutique hotel called Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. It features 182 rooms, a pool, a restaurant and three bars, as well as the restored United Artists Theater.[9] It opened in January 2014. In December 2014, Greenfield Partners put the building up for sale, seeking about $100 million as the sale price.[10] In May 2015, Chesapeake Lodging Trust bought the building for $103 million.[1]

The theater was restored as well and re-opened with concerts by the British rock band Spiritualized.[7] L.A. Dance Project, a dance company founded by choreographer Benjamin Millepied, will also take residence in the Theatre at Ace Hotel.[7] Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a fundraiser at the Ace Hotel on February 5, 2016 in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.[11]

Broadway Theater Historic District

The building is a historic district contributing property in the Broadway Theater District on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vincent, Roger (May 1, 2015). "Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles sold for $103 million". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ↑ Ace Hotel Los Angeles at Emporis
  3. ↑ "Ace Hotel Los Angeles". SkyscraperPage.
  4. ↑ Department of City Planning. "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments". City of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  5. ↑ Vincent, Roger (October 17, 2011). "Historic United Artists building sells for $11 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Gebhard, David; Robert Winter (1985). Architecture in Los Angeles: A Compleat Guide. Salt Lake City: Gibbs M. Smith Books. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-87905-087-0.
  7. 1 2 3 Mike Boehm (January 14, 2014), Millepied's L.A. Dance Project finds home: 1927 downtown theater Los Angeles Times.
  8. ↑ Lewis Segal (February 21, 2014), Review: L.A. Dance Project's launch at Ace Hotel beautifully in sync Los Angeles Times.
  9. ↑ Adrian Glick Kudler (May 25, 2012). "Work Starting at Downtown's Ace Hotel, Celebrating Skid Row". Curbed LA. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  10. ↑ Parker, Ryan (December 17, 2014). "Ace Hotel building in downtown L.A. is up for sale". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/red-hot-chili-peppers-cover-david-bowie-at-bernie-sanders-fundraiser-20160206
  12. ↑ L.A. City: Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments list
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