SAVING THE '60S
Preservationists embrace the Age of Aquarius as more and more
mid-century modern architecture crosses the 50-year threshold

From the pages of CA-Modern magazine
By Trudi Sandmeier & Cindy Olnick

"That building can't be historic -- I remember when it was built!" Ever heard that said about a building near to your heart?

As time marches on and we get older, so do the landmarks we love -- unless they're torn down first.

The year 2010 marks an important milestone in the preservation of mid-century modern architecture, as structures built in 1960 reach the ripe old age of 50. While turning 50 strikes fear in the hearts of many -- especially in Los Angeles -- it actually can be reassuring for important buildings.

In historic preservation, 50 years is the general threshold when buildings and structures are officially considered old enough to have acquired historic significance, particularly in terms of the National Register of Historic Places. While Los Angeles has always pushed the envelope by recognizing significant places prior to the 50-year mark, crossing this threshold should make it less of a struggle.

The all-volunteer Modern Committee (ModCom) of the Los Angeles Conservancy has dealt with this hurdle since its founding in 1984, long before the renaissance of mid-century modernism.

"Early on, the idea of preserving modernist resources was hard for many people to swallow," says John English, an architectural historian and longtime member of the ModCom. "In the 1990s, buildings of the '50s gained credibility, but people couldn't even think about the '60s as a preservation issue.

"Now, here we are. This is it. There is no longer any doubt that enough time has passed for these structures to merit preservation."

1960 arrives

"Suddenly, it's 1960!" So went the sales slogan for 1957 Plymouth automobiles, the entire line newly designed with bold, futuristic features to careen car lovers into the bright new decade of the 1960s.

The '60s were certainly a unique and exciting period in the history of Los Angeles and the country. Against the national backdrop of the Kennedy era, the civil rights movement, the space race, and the Age of Aquarius, Los Angeles developed its freeway system, the aerospace industry flourished, and the population boomed. The city truly came of age as a modern metropolis and began its rise as a cultural capital.

Preservation also took hold in the '60s. The City of Los Angeles created its Cultural Heritage Ordinance in 1962, becoming one of the first cities in the U.S. to do so. The National Historic Preservation Act followed in 1966.

"It was during this decade that Los Angeles first became a 'world city,'" says English. "It was also when we fully realized much of the postwar promise that had been building up steam throughout the late '40s and the '50s. Commercial architects really hit their stride in terms of large-scale development. And Los Angeles International Airport embodied the jet age. When you arrived in Los Angeles, you knew that Los Angeles had arrived."

Despite its early foray into the world of historic preservation, Los Angeles doesn't have a strong track record in protecting its historic resources, particularly those of the 1960s. The region has lost a number of important 1960s structures, from commercial buildings to significant homes.

The elegant Irving Stone residence in Beverly Hills (Richard Dorman & Associates, 1961) was demolished in 2008 as part of the nationwide teardown trend. The former Century City office of Welton Becket & Associates, one of the most prominent and influential architectural firms in Los Angeles, particularly in the '60s, was razed in 2005. Many others have fallen to the wrecking ball, have been altered beyond recognition, or currently face demolition (see sidebar stories here for two current examples).

Fortunately, many other 1960s landmarks have been saved from demolition, proving their value and viability. The Conservancy has advocated for mid-century modern resources since its founding in 1978, and its Modern Committee has been at the vanguard of the movement for 25 years.

Among the city's greatest success stories is the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, designed by Welton Becket & Associates. Featuring the world's only all-concrete geodesic dome, this futuristic theatre also had the world's largest movie screen when it opened in 1963. After a multi-year effort by several preservation groups in the 1990s, the iconic Dome was preserved as the centerpiece of a new -- and wildly successful -- theatre complex.

Preservationists have expanded their efforts beyond single '60s resources to entire neighborhoods. Historic district designation is in the works for the Balboa Highlands Eichler tract in Granada Hills (A. Quincy Jones, Frederick Emmons, and Claude Oakland, 1963-'64), a neighborhood ModCom featured on a 2000 tour of modernism in the San Fernando Valley.

How best to save them?

Preserving buildings from the 1960s is rife with challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, the burden of the '50-year hurdle' lessens with each passing year. On the other hand, preservationists face new technical and philosophical issues.

For instance, many 1960s buildings feature mass-produced materials that are easily replicated, and/or experimental materials that perhaps weren't designed to last for generations.

Is actual historic fabric as important for these structures as it is for older structures of stone, brick, and old-growth wood? How do we adapt car-oriented designs to the contemporary desire for pedestrian-friendly communities? And while a number of 1960s architects pioneered energy-efficient modern design, many others didn't, instead taking full advantage of the era's cheap and plentiful energy. How do we enhance the sustainability of these buildings while maintaining their historic character?

See for yourself

The Conservancy will be exploring these and other topics over the next nine months, as they and ModCom present 'The Sixties Turn Fifty.' This broad-based educational program combines tours, panel discussions, other fun events, and new online features to raise awareness of Los Angeles' rich legacy of 1960s architecture and build a constituency for its preservation.

The Conservancy and ModCom welcome all supporters to these events. Those who live outside Southern California can participate by visiting the Conservancy's website to learn about L.A.'s rich 1960s heritage, vote for their favorite '60s buildings, share photos and stories, and more. For details, visit laconservancy.org.

• Trudi Sandmeier is director of education for the Los Angeles Conservancy. Cindy Olnick is the Conservancy's director of communications.

Photos: Julius Shulman, J. Eric Lynxwiler; and courtesy Peter Moruzzi Collection, Yamasaki Associates. © J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (2004.R.10)

Threatened: Columbia Savings Building Jewel of postwar bank design Designed by architect Irving Shapiro and completed in 1965, the Columbia Savings Building on Los Angeles' 'Miracle Mile' is an outstanding example of postwar bank design. As financial institutions nationwide embraced progressive banking methods, architects responded by radically reinventing the bank's form with bold designs, expansive use of glass for transparency, and the integration of innovative, often abstract art. With a monumental, symmetrical design influenced by New Formalism, the Columbia Savings Building boldly reinterprets the classically inspired banks of the turn-of-the-twentieth century. It features a 45-foot-long brass screen-waterfall sculptural fountain by local artist Taki and a 1,300-square-foot dale de verre (faceted glass) skylight by acclaimed artist Roger Darricarrere. Exceptional signage includes two sculptural pylons soaring eighty-five-feet tall. Visible from great distances, their incredible height marks the evolution of building signage in response to Los Angeles' auto-oriented society. The fate of this unique structure hangs in the balance. The entire block bounded by Wilshire Boulevard, Eighth Street, La Brea Avenue, and Sycamore Avenue is slated for redevelopment with mixed-use retail and restaurant space and 482 apartment units. Despite a wealth of information submitted by the Los Angeles Conservancy on the Columbia Savings Building's significance, the city appears poised to approve the new development and, with it, the building's demolition.

Threatened: Century Plaza Hotel Embodiment of 1960s Los Angeles The Century Plaza Hotel opened in 1966 as the centerpiece of Century City, a 'city within a city' that heralded a bold, new approach to urban design. The 19-story hotel forms an elegant, sweeping crescent at the corner of Avenue of the Stars and Constellation Boulevard -- so named because of Century City's full embrace of the Space Age. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki (1912-1986), who would later design New York's World Trade Center twin towers (1974-2001) and the twin Century Plaza Towers (1975). The son of Japanese immigrants, the Seattle-born Yamasaki was one of approximately a dozen architects ever featured on the cover of Time magazine, in 1963. Since it opened, the Century Plaza has served as a premiere hotel for celebrities, politicians, and world dignitaries. Its instant success also fueled the development of Century City and forged its reputation as a truly modern, world-class destination. Its frequent use by national leaders -- particularly Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan -- garnered it the nickname 'The West Coast White House' and made it a focal point for political activism. In August 1969, President Nixon held a gala dinner at the hotel welcoming the Apollo 11 astronauts back from the first manned moon landing. With one of the largest ballrooms on the West Coast, the Century Plaza has hosted countless events, from star-studded charity balls to the 1967 Pillsbury Bake-Off. In June 2008, soon after completion of a $36 million rehab, the Century Plaza was purchased by Next Century Associates. Michael Rosenfeld of Next Century hailed the hotel as "a jewel in my hometown." Six months later, he announced plans to demolish the mid-century modern landmark and replace it with two 570-foot towers. The Los Angeles Conservancy is leading the charge to save the Century Plaza from what they call a "senseless destruction." In April 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Century Plaza Hotel to its 2009 list of 'America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.' More than 1,200 people from 29 states and nine countries have pledged their support for the hotel's preservation. The world is watching to see how Los Angeles will choose to treat one of its most important landmarks. For more information, and to find out how you can help, visit savecenturyplaza.org.

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