John Parkinson, John C. Austin and Albert C. Martin Sr. designed the building for the City of Los Angeles. Construction began in 1926, and it was dedicated on April 26, 1928. The infobox gives Art Deco, and the tower was modeled on the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It is 453 feet (138 m) tall, with 32 floors in most passages and 36 in the seismic section.
The frame is steel with concrete-encased columns and riveted connections. The tower concrete was made with sand from each of California's 58 counties. A seismic retrofit from 1998 to 2001 added base isolation with 416 rubber bearings and 52 viscous dampers, as part of a 135 million dollar refurbishment.
It became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1976. A free observation level on the 27th floor is open on weekdays during business hours.
Comments