Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre |
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| Former names | Wiltern Theatre The Wiltern Center |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Commercial offices cinema |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 3780 Wilshire Boulevard |
| Coordinates | 34°03′40″N 118°18′28″W / 34.0611°N 118.3078°W |
| Construction started | 1930 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Renovated | 1983 |
| Height | 155 ft (47 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Stiles O. Clements G. Albert Lansburgh |
| Architecture firm | Morgan, Walls & Clements |
| Main contractor | William Simpson Construction Company |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,850 |
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Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre
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| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Stiles O. Clements G. Albert Lansburgh |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000488 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1979 |
The Pellissier Building and the Wiltern Theatre next to it are famous buildings in Los Angeles, California. They are 12 stories tall, about 155 feet (47 meters) high. You can find them at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. People often call the whole place the Wiltern Center.
The buildings are covered in cool blue-green tiles. They are a great example of Art Deco style, which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. The Wiltern building is privately owned. The Wiltern Theatre is managed by Live Nation, a company that puts on live shows.
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Where is the Wiltern Theatre?
The Wiltern Theatre is in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles. It is right across from the Wilshire/Western subway station. This station is the last stop on the D Line subway. This makes it easy for people to get there by public transport.
What do the Buildings Look Like?
The Pellissier Building is named after the family who owned the land. It is a 12-story office building made of steel and concrete. It sits on a two-story base that has shops and the theater entrance. The building has tall, narrow windows that make it look even taller. This style is called French Zig-Zag Moderne.
The Wiltern Theatre entrance has big, bright neon signs. Inside, the theater is famous for its amazing Art Deco design. It has fancy plaster and tile work. There are also colorful murals painted by Anthony Heinsbergen. The most amazing part is the sunburst design on the ceiling. Each ray of the sunburst looks like a tiny skyscraper. This was the designer's idea of what Wilshire Boulevard would look like in the future. When it first opened, the Wiltern also had the biggest theater pipe organ in the western United States.
Both the Wiltern Theatre and the Pellissier Building are very important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Los Angeles also calls them a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
History of the Wiltern
The Wiltern was built in 1931. It was designed by architect Stiles O. Clements. The theater was first meant for vaudeville shows. It opened as the Warner Brothers Western Theater. This was the main theater for the Warner Brothers chain. The William Simpson Construction Company built both the theater and the building.
After closing for a year, the theater reopened in the mid-1930s. It was renamed the Wiltern Theatre. This name comes from the street names it faces: Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue.
In 1956, the building and theater were sold. A group of organ fans worked to fix the theater's large pipe organ. They held concerts there until the mid-1970s.
By the late 1970s, the Wiltern was in bad shape. It was almost torn down two times! Luckily, a group of people who wanted to save old buildings stepped in. Saving the Wiltern was one of their first big wins.
In 1981, a developer named Wayne Ratkovich bought the Wiltern. He worked with architect Brenda Levin to make the theater and office building beautiful again. They had already fixed up other old buildings in Los Angeles.
The office building was finished in 1983. But the theater was much harder to fix. It had been badly cared for. Many paintings and plaster designs were broken. Some parts of the ceiling had even fallen down. The movie Get Crazy was filmed there, which caused even more damage.
To fix the theater, experts were needed. A.T. Heinsbergen, whose father painted the original murals, helped. They even found old Art Deco seats from another theater to replace the missing ones. The Wiltern was originally a movie theater. But Ratkovich wanted it to be a place for live concerts and stage shows. This meant making the stage bigger by extending the back wall.
After four years of work, the Wiltern Theatre reopened on May 1, 1985. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performed there. Since then, it has hosted many live concerts and events.
On August 7, 1985, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played a show there. Most of that concert was used for Petty's first live album.
The Wiltern originally had 2,344 seats. In 2002, the seats on the main floor were removed. Now, the theater can hold 2,300 people standing. It can also be set up for 1,850 seated people. The balcony still has fixed theater seats. It is still one of the biggest theaters in Los Angeles.
In 2000, a company called SFX took over running the Wiltern. Today, Live Nation manages it. From 2003 to 2006, the theater was called the Wiltern LG. This was because LG, an electronics company, had the naming rights. Now, it is just known as the Wiltern.
In 2018, a company called Sugar Studios LA expanded its facilities in the Wiltern Tower. They added a special room for mixing sound and showing movies in 4K.
In November 2019, Madonna performed a 10-night tour there. She was known for being late to take the stage.
During the Coronavirus in April 2020, a message was put on the marquee. It said, "Be Kind. Stay healthy. Visit Wiltern.com for updates."
In November 2020, the Wiltern was used as a place for people to vote in the presidential election.
See also
In Spanish: Wiltern Theatre para niños
