Villa Riviera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Villa Riviera
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Location | 800 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Richard D. King |
| Architectural style | French Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000778 |
| Added to NRHP | July 25, 1996 |
The Villa Riviera is a famous historic building located on Ocean Boulevard in the Alamitos Beach area of Long Beach, California. Its name means "beach villa" in Italian. When it was finished in 1929, and for many years after, it was one of the tallest buildings in Southern California. People have called this 16-story building, which looks like a French castle, "Long Beach's most elegant landmark." It is also known as a building that "helped make the city famous." In 1996, the Villa Riviera was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is used as apartments, with about 134 homes. This includes two special penthouse apartments on the 16th floor. These top-floor homes even have cool stone gargoyles looking out over the city and ocean.
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What the Villa Riviera Looks Like
The Villa Riviera was built between 1927 and 1929. It cost about $2.75 million to build. This tall building has 16 stories and is designed in a style called French Gothic. This means it looks a bit like old European castles or cathedrals.
Building Design and Features
The very top of the building has a steep, pointed roof made of copper that has turned a green color over time. A talented architect named Richard King designed the building. He even won a big award for his design, which he called "Tudor Gothic."
One of the most interesting parts of the Villa Riviera are the fierce-looking gargoyles. These stone figures are perched high up on the building's upper floors. The building also had many fancy features when it was new. These included a large room for dancing, a beautiful roof garden, comfortable lounges, and fast elevators. It even had a special heating system and a garage for 100 cars.
A Luxury Home
The Villa Riviera was first built as a luxury place to live. It was meant for people to own their own apartments, like a co-op. A brochure from 1928 described the building as very special. It said the design mixed French and Italian styles with a grand Gothic look. The brochure promised that the building would give its 130 owners "every comfort, luxury and modern convenience."
When it was finished, the Villa Riviera was 277 feet tall. It was the second-tallest building in the region, only shorter than Los Angeles City Hall. For many years, until the 1950s, it stayed the second-tallest building in Southern California. It was also the tallest private building in the area.
History of the Villa Riviera
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Soon after the Villa Riviera opened, a tough time called the Great Depression began. This meant fewer people wanted to buy expensive apartments. Because of this, the building was sold and became an apartment-hotel instead.
Surviving the Earthquake
In 1933, a big earthquake hit Long Beach. The tall Villa Riviera shook a lot, but it was built so well that it did not get serious damage. A newspaper story at the time described what happened. Many people, including Navy officers who lived there, quickly went outside. The building's assistant manager said that the elevators stopped, and everyone rushed down the stairs.
In 1937, a famous silent film star named Norma Talmadge and her ex-husband, Joseph M. Schenck, bought the building. This was a very big property deal for the area. Norma Talmadge even lived in one of the penthouse apartments for a while.
During World War II, many officers from the U.S. Navy lived at the Villa Riviera. The tower at the top of the building was even used by the Navy. They used it to look for enemy ships off the coast of Southern California.
In the 1940s and early 1950s, the Villa Riviera was known as the "Home of Admirals." This was because many high-ranking officers from the United States Pacific Fleet lived there. In 1955, a hotel company bought the building. They soon changed it back to its original purpose: a place where people could own their own apartments. Even so, they kept some hotel services like a coffee shop and valet parking for the residents.
The first ever Miss Universe Pageant was held at the Villa Riviera in 1952. Marine Corps and Navy officers helped escort each contestant.
In 1969, people in Long Beach were surprised when the city said the Villa Riviera was a fire hazard. After some repairs were made, the building was declared safe again in 1971.
In 1991, the building was changed into condominiums, which means people could buy their own apartments there. In 1996, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2003, the Los Angeles Times newspaper called it "Long Beach's most elegant landmark." They also said it was a building that "helped make the city famous for almost 75 years."
More recently, in 2007 and 2008, the people who live in the building spent $4 million to fix it up. This included putting back six of the original gargoyles that had been removed a long time ago.
