noirish Los Angeles

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

The Richfield Building with it's 146-foot tower in 1955

^^^
I sure miss this building. Pic posted by ethereal_reality on first page of his blog, 2009.

Today this building would be preserved. The ARCO Plaza could have been built around it, but in 1968/69 it's value was not appreciated.

Everybody should go back to the first pages of this blog (2009) and enjoy all the pics. Start with page 1, and work forward 5 pages a day. I didn't find this blog until a year ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do.

I'm not too sure that ARCO could have built on that site and preserved the Richfield Building. Keep in mind in the late 60's when ARCO decided to consolidate their operations here in LA(they could have gone with Atlantic's HQ in Philly), they were facing a really big capital project in getting crude from the North Slope down to it's refineries in Washington and Carson. So to develop the whole block they needed a partner(Bank of America) to help share the costs of the new headquarters.

The Richfield Building wasn't forgotten at ARCO, the lobby for the executive floors on the 50th floor had about a 4' model of the building. I really wonder what happened to that model after ARCO vacated the tower and moved to the old Security Pacific building and then being acquired by bp.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

I'm not too sure that ARCO could have built on that site and preserved the Richfield Building. Keep in mind in the late 60's when ARCO decided to consolidate their operations here in LA(they could have gone with Atlantic's HQ in Philly), they were facing a really big capital project in getting crude from the North Slope down to it's refineries in Washington and Carson. So to develop the whole block they needed a partner(Bank of America) to help share the costs of the new headquarters.

The Richfield Building wasn't forgotten at ARCO, the lobby for the executive floors on the 50th floor had about a 4' model of the building. I really wonder what happened to that model after ARCO vacated the tower and moved to the old Security Pacific building and then being acquired by bp.

It would have taken a bit of imagination, a smaller plaza, perhaps an additional block for the second tower for BA. Perhaps a city waiver. Unfortunately the Richfield tower was not valued as something to be preserved in the late 1960s. When Wells Fargo built a new 43 story HQ in SF in the late '60s, it didn't tear down the old HQ. It was preserved, and I believe it now is the HQ again. The 43 story was sold. Maybe the bank still rents space in it. Not sure.

Ironically, BA moved out of ARCO/BA plaza a few years later when it took over Security Pacific & moved into the Bunker Hill tower of SP. ARCO was taken over so they left too. BA also closed it's SF headquarters & moved to Charlotte. So, we lost ARCO and we lost the Richfield tower, and we have two 52 story dominos with high vacancy which some people like. If they had of kept the Richfield tower with one or two new towers, maybe the complex would be much more rented out today. We'll never know. Ancient history.

At least we value our past landmarks more than we used to. Look at Broadway, Spring, 7th etc. Fortunately so much of the old still survives. Cities that preserve the best of the old when they build the new are much more interesting places.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

It would have taken a bit of imagination, a smaller plaza, perhaps an additional block for the second tower for BA. Perhaps a city waiver. Unfortunately the Richfield tower was not valued as something to be preserved in the late 1960s. When Wells Fargo built a new 43 story HQ in SF in the late '60s, it didn't tear down the old HQ. It was preserved, and I believe it now is the HQ. The 43 story was sold. Maybe the bank rents space in it. Not sure. Ironically, BA moved out of ARCO/BA plaza a few years later when it took over Security Pacific & moved into the Bunker Hill tower of SP. ARCO was taken over so they left too. BA also closed it's SF headquarters & moved to Charlotte. So, we lost ARCO and we lost the Richfield tower, and we have two 52 story dominos with high vacancy which some people like. If they had of kept the Richfield with one or two new towers, maybe the complex would be much more rented out today.

I guess I should have been more blunt, ARCO didn't have the money build a headquarters building on its own. They needed the entire block to accommodate both their headquarters and thier partner's(B of A) needs.

ARCO moved out of the Plaza in 1999 and moved to the Security Pacific Building at 333 Hope as the named tenant(B of A may have been in the building but they were not the named tenant. Shortly after that move, they merged with bp. B of A became the named tenant at 333 Hope sometime in the late aughts.

As I noted, there was quite a bit of nostalgia for the old Richfield building at ARCO. In addition to the scale model on the 50th floor the elevator door panels from the Richfield building are at the Figuroa side of the old ARCO tower.

[CityBoyDoug]

MGM 1970

I first saw this building when I was 12 years and thought it was dazzling. It stood out from all other LA buildings like a diamond amongst the dross of surrounding drabness.

The thoughtless, careless destruction of this iconic structure was and is a huge loss for LA. It was as if Mae West and Liberace had their own building....it was screaming for attention to itself. It lived in its own little niche.



It was really gaudy in some respect. I would ask the architect, Stiles Clements, "What were you thinking?" He thought the black facade symbolized black oil. How that translates from oil to a building exterior is beyond me.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

This morning I happened upon this snapsnap on eBay


eBay

This unknown person is across from the art deco Wilshire Bowl at 5665 Wilshire Boulevard.

As most of you norishers know the Wilshire Bowl would become Slapsy Maxie's in 1943.

To see all the incarnations of the Wilshire Bowl go Here (thanks Martin Turnbull)

Originally Posted by CaliNative

^^^
Does this building still exist? Hopefully yes!

As you'll see from the link that e_r posted, the building was demolished long ago to make way for a Van de Kamps coffee shop. In turn, that has since been demolished to make way for the Office Depot building that stands at 5665 Wilshire Boulevard today. There's a little more info at laconservancy.org. You can see the current incarnation here.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

The Richfield Building with it's 146-foot tower in 1955

^^^
I sure miss this building. Pic posted by ethereal_reality on first page of his blog, 2009.

Today this building would be preserved. The ARCO Plaza could have been built around it, but in 1968/69 it's value was not appreciated.

[...]

[In a pensive mood]. I wonder how much it would cost to build a replica of the Richfield Building today (appearance outside and in the lobby the same, otherwise up to current code) . . . ? I wonder if there is a mega-corporation which would have the chutzpah to do it . . . ? I wonder if they could take an undistinguished current building of the right size and use that for the core, building a shell replicating the Richfield Building on top of and around it . . . ?

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

The Richfield Building wasn't forgotten at ARCO, the lobby for the executive floors on the 50th floor had about a 4' model of the building. I really wonder what happened to that model after ARCO vacated the tower and moved to the old Security Pacific building and then being acquired by bp.

wiki images

Here's the 4' model of the Richfield Oil building. The tower atop the building is supposed to symbolize an oil derrick...whatever.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

I guess I should have been more blunt, ARCO didn't have the money build a headquarters building on its own. They needed the entire block to accommodate both their headquarters and thier partner's(B of A) needs.

ARCO moved out of the Plaza in 1999 and moved to the Security Pacific Building at 333 Hope as the named tenant(B of A may have been in the building but they were not the named tenant. Shortly after that move, they merged with bp. B of A became the named tenant at 333 Hope sometime in the late aughts.

As I noted, there was quite a bit of nostalgia for the old Richfield building at ARCO. In addition to the scale model on the 50th floor the elevator door panels from the Richfield building are at the Figuroa side of the old ARCO tower.

BA took over Sec. Pacific when that bank fell into difficulty in the early 1990s due to bad loans. ARCO was indeed taken over by BP in the '90s or early 00s. I don't recall ARCO moving to the SP S. Hope building, but I accept that you are correct. If so, I wonder why they moved out of ARCO plaza into S. Hope? ARCO also had space and it's logo on a 33 story building (the reddish tower) across the Harbor Freeway on the west side of DTLA for a while until the merger with BP.

When L.A. lost both Security Pacific and especially ARCO, we lost some good corporate players. ARCO was heavily involved in good causes and charities in the area, and their chairman Mr. Anderson was a good corporate citizen for L.A.

[CaliNative]

Huh

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

I guess I should have been more blunt, ARCO didn't have the money build a headquarters building on its own. They needed the entire block to accommodate both their headquarters and thier partner's(B of A) needs.

ARCO moved out of the Plaza in 1999 and moved to the Security Pacific Building at 333 Hope as the named tenant(B of A may have been in the building but they were not the named tenant. Shortly after that move, they merged with bp. B of A became the named tenant at 333 Hope sometime in the late aughts.

As I noted, there was quite a bit of nostalgia for the old Richfield building at ARCO. In addition to the scale model on the 50th floor the elevator door panels from the Richfield building are at the Figuroa side of the old ARCO tower.

Originally Posted by odinthor

[In a pensive mood]. I wonder how much it would cost to build a replica of the Richfield Building today (appearance outside and in the lobby the same, otherwise up to current code) . . . ? I wonder if there is a mega-corporation which would have the chutzpah to do it . . . ? I wonder if they could take an undistinguished current building of the right size and use that for the core, building a shell replicating the Richfield Building on top of and around it . . . ?

^^^
I'd love to see a much taller version of the Richfield tower (or at least inspired by it) in all its art deco glory, maybe 70 or 80 stories with a tall spire. Mixed use. Maybe 1250 feet, Empire State height. Maybe on Broadway or 7th with all the historic buildings where it would fit right in. I can dream anyway. A neo art deco Richfield in time for the Olympics and the 100th anniversary of the original Richfield tower completion (1928). It would cost a bundle but would be loved and no doubt popular and rent well. People love art deco. Seeking a billionaire to build it. L.A. has lots of multi-billionaires. Maybe once we get past covid & the economy recovers. Then we'll get it going. At the top of the spire there could be a winged angel statue representing the "City of Angels". The angel with open wings would be lit up at night along with the entire spire.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

MGM 1970

I first saw this building when I was 12 years and thought it was dazzling. It stood out from all other LA buildings like a diamond amongst the dross of surrounding drabness.

The thoughtless, careless destruction of this iconic structure was and is a huge loss for LA. It was as if Mae West and Liberace had their own building....it was screaming for attention to itself. It lived in its own little niche.



It was really gaudy in some respect. I would ask the architect, Stiles Clements, "What were you thinking?" He thought the black facade symbolized black oil. How that translates from oil to a building exterior is beyond me.

It was magnificent. At least DTLA still has Eastern Columbia and a few others. See my idea above about building a much taller version in time for the 100th birthday of the original Richfield (finished in 1928) and in time for the 2028 Olympics. Any noirish billionaires here to build it?

[jdcamb]

My Grampa had this pic in his workshop. It was framed also.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

BA took over Sec. Pacific when that bank fell into difficulty in the early 1990s due to bad loans. ARCO was indeed taken over by BP in the '90s or early 00s. I don't recall ARCO moving to the SP S. Hope building, but I accept that you are correct. If so, I wonder why they moved out of ARCO plaza into S. Hope? ARCO also had space and it's logo on a 33 story building (the reddish tower) across the Harbor Freeway on the west side of DTLA for a while until the merger with BP.

When L.A. lost both Security Pacific and especially ARCO, we lost some good corporate players. ARCO was heavily involved in good causes and charities in the area, and their chairman Mr. Anderson was a good corporate citizen for L.A.

I was an ARCO employee from 1985-2001. The ARCO building along the freeway on 7th was for the ARCO Products Company(downstream, refineries and gas stations). ARCO was also in the 444 Building(444 S. Flower), ARCO International Oil and Gas was there and then a Corporate Legal group(my group for a while). Paypoint and the mainframe computers were at the Park on Fig. and before that on Wilshire in Koreatown. ARCO and B of A sold the Plaza in 1986, so they were paying rent on the space, I believe they got a cheaper deal at 333 S. Hope, so they moved.

Post RO, ARCO still was active in charity work in the area, particularly the Central Library after the fires. The central rotunda in the library is named for Lod Cook, RO's successor as CEO.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by odinthor

[In a pensive mood]. I wonder how much it would cost to build a replica of the Richfield Building today (appearance outside and in the lobby the same, otherwise up to current code) . . . ? I wonder if there is a mega-corporation which would have the chutzpah to do it . . . ? I wonder if they could take an undistinguished current building of the right size and use that for the core, building a shell replicating the Richfield Building on top of and around it . . . ?

Maybe Elon Musk.

[Scott Charles]

I love the old Atlantic Richfield building. See my avatar!

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

Maybe Elon Musk.

I'm working on a design. When I finish, I'll post it.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

I love the old Atlantic Richfield building. See my avatar!

Let's take up a collection to rebuild it, at least something inspired by it. Maybe a go fund me. Probably a billion would do it, even for a much taller version (see above posts). Get a few billionaires on board. Call it the "City of Angels" tower. Anyway, maybe we should get back to noirish topics. But the Richfield was a noirish era landmark, so it is apropos.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

Maybe Elon Musk.

Elon likes tunnels, rockets and cars. May not be into art deco buildings.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Maybe the owner of the Clippers, the dude with billions from Microsoft? He was chairman after Gates. Forgot his name.

Steve Balmer.

• Video Link

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Steve Balmer.

• Video Link

He is an enthusiastic guy. I have yet to meet an oldtimer who didn't like or love the old Richfield. The skyline cries for a taller version that at least rhymes with the original. Nuff for now.

[CaliNative]

Eureka! Make Ethereal's L.A. Noirish Indeed Again: MELANIA. Put that on baseball caps, sell them for a tidy sum. Rebuild the noirish landmarks like the Richfield. Done. Now I can sleep.