March 22, 2015 - Today we're back in Los Angeles for a walking tour of the Los Angeles City Hall directed by the Los Angeles Conservancy. The Los Angeles City Hall was designed by John Parkinson, John C. Austin, and Albert C. Martin, Sr., and was completed in 1928. It has 32 floors and, at 452 feet high, is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world, having undergone a seismic retrofit from 1998 to 2001 such that the building will sustain minimal damage and remain functional after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake. The concrete in its tower was made with sand from each of California's 58 counties and water from its 21 historical missions.
This is one of the six bronze panels on the massive entrance doors.
While the main entrance faces west, this is the south facing side of the building. Obviously it's massive from any angle.
Part of the seismic retrofit was the installation of a moat around the entire structure to keep the earth from directly pressing against the building's foundation. By design, most of the moat is disguised.
The artwork of the interior is very impressive.
This is the City Council chamber.
This movable blackboard is exquisite, although no longer used by the council.
This is the main rotunda in the building.
The center silhouette is of Father Serra, the founder of the California Missions.
This is a close up of the bronze medallion in the center of the floor.
This chamber is for the Public Works Commission.
This is the Tower Room, at the top of the building, which is surrounded on all four sides by the outdoor observatory.
The skies cleared from earlier in the day, so we were able to enjoy the view.
City Hall is the preeminent icon of Los Angeles, even though it no longer dominates the skyline. Its towering three-tiered form and its design, part classically inspired, part futuristic Art Deco, has a profile famous from countless movies and television shows.
The tour lasted about two hours and the LA Conservancy did a fantastic job putting it together. We had eaten at Philippe's prior to the tour so our "double dipped" French Dip roast beef sandwiches, potato salad, pickled egg and lemonade got us through the day.
"This is the city. Los Angeles, California. I work here... I'm a cop."
