Parker Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parker Center |
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Parker Center in 1976
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| Alternative names | Police Administration Building Police Facilities Building "The Glass House" (unofficial) |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | International Style |
| Location | 150 North Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°03′07″N 118°14′27″W / 34.051926°N 118.240748°W |
| Construction started | 1952 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Opened | 1955 |
| Closed | October 2009 |
| Demolished | 2019 |
| Cost | $6,142,548 |
| Owner | Los Angeles Police Department |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 8 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Welton Becket J. E. Stanton |
| Architecture firm | Welton Becket & Associates |
Parker Center was once the main building for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). It served as their headquarters from 1955 until 2009. The building was located in Downtown Los Angeles at 150 North Los Angeles Street.
People sometimes called it "The Glass House." In 1966, it was named after a former LAPD chief, William H. Parker. The LAPD moved to a new building in 2009 because Parker Center was getting old. After some time, the city decided to tear it down. The demolition happened in 2019.
Contents
Parker Center: A Look Back
Building History and Design
Work on Parker Center began in December 1952. The building was finished and opened in 1955. In 1966, the city council decided to rename it "Parker Center" to honor Chief William H. Parker.
The building was designed by Welton Becket & Associates. It had eight floors and was made of strong concrete. It featured aluminum windows and special ceramic tiles. Parker Center brought together many police services that were spread out before.
Cool Features Inside
The jail area inside Parker Center was quite modern for its time. It had no traditional window bars. Instead, it used very strong, unbreakable glass. The floors were made of a soft material to prevent injuries.
A special control board in the lineup room could change the lighting. This helped police officers practice identifying people. The building also had early IBM computers. This made the LAPD one of the first police departments to use such technology. The fourth floor was dedicated to scientific investigations. It even had early versions of breath tests for alcohol. In 1956, Popular Mechanics magazine called it "ultramodern" and "the jail that modern science built."
Artworks at the Center
Two important pieces of art were made for the building. One was a large bronze sculpture called "The American Family." It was placed at the entrance. The other was a colorful mosaic in the lobby. This mosaic showed famous buildings in Los Angeles. Both artworks were removed in 2018 before the building was torn down.
Parker Center was also a site of public events. It was a place where people gathered during the public protests that happened in Los Angeles in 1992.
Why a New Headquarters Was Needed
Over time, Parker Center became old and needed many repairs. It especially needed expensive upgrades to make it safer during earthquakes. Because of this, the city decided to build a new headquarters for the LAPD.
Construction for the new building started in 2007. The new LAPD headquarters opened in October 2009. Parker Center was officially closed by the City of Los Angeles in January 2013.
Debates About Saving the Building
In 2014, city officials suggested tearing down the empty Parker Center. They wanted to build a new 27-story office tower in its place. The plan was to take the building down floor by floor.
However, some people wanted to save Parker Center. In 2015, a city group called The Cultural Heritage Commission suggested giving it historical status. This would have protected the building from being torn down. There were many discussions about what to do.
People considered a few options for Parker Center:
- Updating the building with new features and earthquake safety measures. They also thought about making the parking garage bigger.
- Repairing some parts of the building. This option included tearing down the old jail section.
- Tearing down the entire building. Then, they would build one or two new office buildings with more space and parking.
The End of Parker Center
In 2016, the idea of tearing down Parker Center came up again. City engineers suggested building a new city office building on the same spot. The Cultural Heritage Commission tried again to give Parker Center landmark status, but they missed the deadline.
In December 2016, engineers recommended tearing down the building. They said it would be cheaper to build a new high-rise than to preserve and update the old one. On March 24, 2017, the City Council voted to approve the demolition. They decided to replace it with a new office tower for city employees. The above-ground demolition of Parker Center was completed on July 15, 2019.
