The Barry Building facts for kids

The Barry Building is a special commercial building in Los Angeles, California. It's located at 11973 San Vicente Boulevard in the Brentwood area. This building was designed by an architect named Milton Caughey and finished in 1951. It's known for its style, called mid-twentieth century modern.

In 2007, the Barry Building became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. This means it's an important historical place. It's one of the few commercial buildings from the mid-1900s to get this special status. Experts said it's a great example of California's modern design. A cool part of the building is its open courtyard. This courtyard used to be home to a famous bookstore called Dutton's.

Building History: From Bookstore to Landmark

The Barry Building was built for its owner, David Barry, in 1951. This was a time when the Brentwood area was growing fast after World War II. It's one of the few commercial buildings designed by Milton Caughey.

The most famous business in the building was Dutton's Bookstore. For over 20 years, famous authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Isabel Allende visited to read their books and meet fans. Dutton's Bookstore closed in 2008. Today, the building is home to the Caffe Luxxe.

In 2006, a businessman named Charlie Munger bought the building. He is a top leader at Berkshire Hathaway Corporation, a big investment company.

Milton Caughey: The Architect's Vision

Milton Caughey, the building's architect, studied at the Yale School of Architecture. After serving in the navy, he moved to Los Angeles. He worked with another architect before starting his own business. Caughey designed homes, schools, and other buildings. He won several awards for his work in Southern California.

Caughey was one of the first to use a design style that mixed indoor and outdoor spaces. This style became very popular in Southern California in the mid-1900s. The Barry Building shows this with its outdoor cantilevered stairs. These stairs curve down to a central courtyard. The building also has a flat roof and a simple look. These features are typical of Caughey's designs. His work was inspired by other famous architects and a style called the International Style.

What Makes the Building Special?

The Barry Building is a great example of mid-20th century modern architecture in Southern California. It uses simple lines and open spaces. Its design shows the influence of architects like Corbusier and the International Style.

The building has two sets of outdoor stairs that seem to hang in the air. They lead down to a central, open courtyard with two stories. This mix of indoor and outdoor space is a key part of Caughey's work. A report from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning said the building "shows the beauty and style typical of new ideas in architecture." It's one of the rare commercial buildings in West Los Angeles that truly represents this exciting time in California architecture.

Protecting the Barry Building

In 2007, the owners planned to develop the land around the building. They wanted to build new things and asked Dutton's Bookstore to leave. At the same time, people who wanted to save old buildings asked for the Barry Building to be reviewed. They wanted it to become a landmark, which doesn't need the owner's permission.

In 2007, with support from Councilman Bill Rosendahl, the Barry Building was officially named Historic-Cultural Monument #887. However, being a landmark doesn't always stop a building from being torn down. But, under a law called the California Environmental Quality Act, a special report must be made. This report, called an environmental impact report (EIR), is needed before a historic landmark can be demolished.

In 2007, Charles Munger submitted a plan to develop the area. This project, called Green Hollow Square, was first planned as a 49,300 square-foot shopping center. In 2011, the plan was changed to a larger 73,000 square-foot commercial space. This new plan includes three new buildings. The final report for this project was released in January 2012. The developers prefer a plan that would tear down the Barry Building. However, the report also includes an option to keep the Barry Building and include it in the new development.