Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
183
patterned “textile-block” exterior was Wright's invention and is the most famous aspect
of the home 's design. S ituated on a dramatic site o verlooking H ollywood, F reeman
House is built with the world 's first glass-to-glass corner windo ws. Dancer Martha Gra-
ham, bandleader Xavier Cugat, art collector Galka Sheye, photographer Edward Weston,
and architects Philip Johnson and Richar d Neutra all liv ed or spent significant time at
this house, which became kno wn as an avant-garde salon. The house is currently closed
for restoration; call ahead to see if it 's open.
1962 Glencoe Way (off Hillcrest Rd., near Highland and Franklin aves.).
&
323/851-0671.
DOWNTOWN
For a taste of what D owntown's B unker H ill was like befor e the bulldoz ers, visit the
residential neighborhood of
Angelino Heights,
near E cho Park. Entire streets are still
filled with stately gingerbread Victorian homes; most still enjo y the beautiful views that
led early L.A.'s elite to build here. The 1300 block of Carroll Avenue is the best preserved.
Don't be surprised if a film cr ew is scouting locations while y ou're there—these blocks
appear often on the silver screen.
In addition to the buildings listed belo w, a definite must-see for ar chitecture buffs is
the
Walt Disney Concert Hall
, described on p. 164.
The Br adbury Building
This N ational H istoric Landmar k, built in 1893 and
designed by George Wyman, is Los Angeles's oldest commercial building and one of the
city's most revered architectural achievements. Legend has it that an inexperienced drafts-
man named G eorge Wyman accepted the $125,000 commission after communicating
with his dead br other through a O uija board. Capped b y a magical fiv e-story skylight,
Bradbury's cour tyard combines glaz ed brick, ornate M exican tile floors, rich B elgian
marble, Ar t N ouveau grillwor k, handsome oak paneling, and lacelike wr ought-iron
railings—it's one of the great interior spaces of the 19th century. The glass-topped atrium
is often used as a mo vie and TV set; y ou've probably seen it befor e in
Chinatown
and
Blade Runner.
304 S. Broadway (at 3rd St.), Los Angeles.
&
213/626-1893.
Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat-Sun 9am-5pm.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Completed in September 2002 at a cost
of $163 million and built to last 500 y ears, this ultracontemporar y cathedral is one of
L.A.'s newest architectural treasures and the thir d-largest cathedral in the world. I t was
designed b y awar d-winning S panish ar chitect J ose Rafael M oneo and featur es a
20,000-square-foot plaza with a meditation gar den, more than 6,000 cr ypts and niches
(making it the largest crypt mausoleum in the U.S.), mission-style colonnades, biblically
inspired gardens, and numerous artworks created by world-acclaimed artists. While most
Angelinos admit that the exterior of this auster e, sand-colored structure is rather unin-
spiring and uninviting (the chur ch doors don't face the street, but rather a priv ate plaza
in back surr ounded b y for tresslike walls), the inside is br eathtaking: S oaring heights,
12,000 panes of translucent alabaster, and larger-than-life tapestries lining the walls cr e-
ate an aw e-inspiring sense of magnificence and ser enity. The 25,000-pound br onze
doors, created by sculptor R obert Graham, pay homage to G hiberti's bronze baptistery
door in F lorence. Free self-guided tours ar e available, and ther e's a small cafe and gift
shop as well.
555 W. Temple St. (at Grand A ve.), L os Angeles .
&
213/680-5200.
w ww.olacathedral.org. M on-Fri
6:30am-6pm; Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 7am-6pm.
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