Los Angeles Conservancy City Hall TourBG and I ventured downtown on December 1 to take part in the Los Angeles Conservancy City Hall tour. I was a docent with the LAC for 16 years but unfortunately had to bow out a couple of years ago as it was just one more thing I couldn't fit into my schedule. But I miss giving those tours and recently have wondered if it would be possible to start leading them again. With that in mind, I decided to be a tourist on some of the tours I used to lead just to see if the excitement was still there.
So on a crisp Saturday morning we showed up on the steps of City Hall. I chose this tour as the building is one of my favorites, full of marble, tile and painted ceilings. Completed in 1928, this was the tallest building in Los Angeles until the late 1950s when a 150 foot height limit was lifted.
After the 1994 Northridge quake, the entire building was renovated and placed on stabilizers. I actually remember being in the building right after the quake. I paid a visit to the bathroom on one of the lower floors. The whole room seemed to be at an angle, there was a huge crack in the wall and the light was going on and off. I got out of there as fast as my bodily needs would let me! Soon after that the building was closed for earthquake repairs which took several years.
This was my first trip back since then. What is most noticeable is that the decorative plaster ceilings have been cleaned and repainted with the original colors. I last saw them when they were just beginning to be restored. What a difference now. The most spectacular part of the building is the rotunda with its gorgeous marble columns. This area is used often in movies to substitute for places such as the Vatican or the Capitol Building in DC. I always recognize it when I see it in a film posing as something else and have a little chuckle!
Enough said. The only way you can truly appreciate the building is it to see it for yourself. The Los Angeles Conservancy tour runs the first Saturday of every month at 11:00am. Treat yourself. Make a reservation. (A good place to park is in the Geffen Contemporary MOCA lot south of City Hall, splat in the middle of Little Tokyo where you can have lunch after the tour.)So am I ending my hiatus as a walking tour docent? Not quite. Even though I admit I was itching to take the tour over from the docent, I need to focus all my energy on finishing school, then I'll decide.
From the Los Angeles Conservancy website:
City Hall First Saturday, 11 a.m.
This 1-3/4 hour tour explores the wonderful architecture and fascinating history of this beloved, and now fully restored landmark. Included on the tour are some of the building's important public spaces including the magnificent rotunda, City Council chambers, and Public Works session room. Request reservation.
(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)
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