Power to the people: Top 60 of the '60sThe votes are in, the people have spoken, and we now have a completely unofficial but fascinating list of voters' favorite 1960s sites across Los Angeles County. 'Thank you' to the hundreds of people -- who submitted more than 2,000 votes! It was great to see which buildings and sites held a special place in the community's heart. The 'People's Choice Top 60 of the '60s' spans seven categories: civic/institutional, commercial/retail, ecclesiastical, residential, industrial/manufacturing, culturally significant sites, and cultural landscapes. Below is the top pick in each category. For a map and slideshow of all the winners, visit laconservancy.org/sixties. • First place - Civic/Institutional LAX THEME BUILDING, Los Angeles International Airport • First place - Commercial/Retail • First place - Ecclesiastical • First place - Residential • First place - Industrial • First place - Cultural Site • First place - Cultural Landscape |
UPDATE: Columbia Savings BuildingWhen 'The Sixties Turn 50' was introduced here in the fall 2009, the 1965 Columbia Savings Building on Los Angeles' 'Miracle Mile' was threatened with demolition. Tragically, the building was razed in January 2010 despite an intensive preservation effort. Created by architect Irving Shapiro, the Columbia Savings Building's design reinterpreted the classically inspired banks of the turn-of-the-twentieth century. It integrated notable works of abstract art, including a 45-foot-long brass screen-waterfall sculptural fountain and a 1,300-square-foot dalle-de-verre stained-glass skylight. Having more recently served as a Korean church, the building was proposed for demolition in 2008 as part of a massive mixed-use redevelopment project. The Los Angeles Conservancy fought the demolition for more than a year, illustrating the building's significance and nominating it for state landmark designation. Nonetheless, the project was pushed through the approval process, with decision makers saying they "just didn't get" the building's importance. When it became clear that the City would approve the project, the Conservancy urged that the developer be required to at least obtain building permits for the new project before demolishing the Columbia Savings Building. Their request was denied. The Los Angeles City Council approved the project the morning of December 4, 2009. The building's demolition began hours later. The entire block was cleared and now sits vacant for the foreseeable future. UPDATE: Century Plaza HotelThe Los Angeles Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Next Century Associates (NCA) announced plans in February 2010 to preserve the 1966 Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. NCA, the building's owner, had proposed in 2008 to demolish the hotel and replace it with a mixed-use development including a boutique hotel, condominiums, retail, restaurants, offices, and open space. The Conservancy responded with a range of efforts, including building broad public support for the hotel's preservation, making it a campaign issue in the local City Council election, and successfully nominating the building for listing by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America's '11 Most Endangered Historic Places' for 2009. Thanks to strong political leadership, broad public support, and an open-minded developer, the Conservancy and the National Trust were able to work with the project team to find a meaningful preservation solution that uses the hotel building as the centerpiece of the development. NCA recently released the design concept for the project, which will go through the full public review process over the coming months. |
Photos: Dean Cheng (La Laguna de San Gabriel and Union 76 gas station), Ken Shelton (Foley Center), L.A. Conservancy staff ('the Onion' church), Larry Underhill (Columbia Savings Building), Konstantin von Wedelstaedt on Flickr (LAX Theme Building), Century Plaza (Andrew Hara).