This photo is a reminder that not everything to come out of the Great Depression was drab and dreary. Beverly Hills City Hall at 451 N. Crescent Dr. at Santa Monica Blvd, seen here circa 1936, was constructed in 1931 and 1932 as the rest of the country was hitting rock bottom. Officially, it was built in a style known as “California Churrigueresque” (and if you can pronounce that second word, I tip my hat to you) which is a type of Spanish Revival architecture. According to one report I read, when it opened in 1932, the L.A. Times called it the “largest and most expensive city hall of any municipality its size in the country.” Seeing this photo of it, it’s not hard to see why.
This is roughly how that view looked in May 2024.
A rare upgrade as architectural renovation goes. Nice to see it!
It looks like a pleasant space with a modern style that didn’t destroy the iconic nature of the original.
An LA miracle!
You can barely see the original building with all the modern crap built around it!!!! I sure do like the 1936 photo better.
Tell us you’re a cranky old man without telling us you’re a cranky old man! 🤣
Just stating my opinion Norman!!!
John,
I agree with you!
The original design was more elegant, compared to the “cheap ART DECO” wall that closes off the sightlines. Kind of like adding too much BOTOX and FILLER, to stop an aging face! 🙂
Thanks Christopher, I totally agree.
The first picture SCREAMS sterile government office. The second says, “come sit down and hang out a while”. It’s one thing to be critical of modern architecture and still another to hate something just because it’s new and love something just because it’s old. You guys are mental.
I think some of you are taking these two photos out of context. The top b&w photo was taken at N. Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Blvd. and looking southeast. If you are right there today you’re going to see the exact same view of that building. There is nothing blocking the view of Beverly Hills City Hall there along Santa Monica Boulevard.
What you’re looking at in the second photo is the Beverly Hills Civic Center, with City Hall in the background, taken at N. Crescent Drive and South Santa Monica Blvd. (usually referred to as Little Santa Monica) and looking northeast.
There is a lot going on in this area: City Hall is surrounded by North Santa Monica Boulevard, North Rexford Drive, South Santa Monica Boulevard, and North Crescent Drive. Its main entrance is at 455 North Rexford Drive, which faces the Beverly Hills Public Library, adjacent to the Beverly Hills Police Department. A few doors below on North Rexford Drive is the Beverly Hills Fire Department, next to the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden. Behind it, on South Santa Monica Boulevard, is the Beverly Hills Civic Center.
On the outside perimeter of all this is the Beverly Hills Post Office which is now the Annenberg Theater and retains it’s original look. (Humphrey Bogart uses it in the film In a Lonely Place, in which City Hall can be seen.) South of that is a famous Googie style designed gas station. North of this area is Beverly Hills Park.
There’s nothing to be nitpicked about this area unless one is lacking information about it. The whole area is historic and beautiful and nice to spend time at or just drive through.