Paul Revere Williams
About Gallery News Resources Education Timeline Exhibition Media Contact Us

Gallery

Sunset Plaza Apartments, Los Angeles, CA

Gallery » Sunset Plaza Apartments, Los Angeles, CA

Sunset Plaza Apartments, Los Angeles, CA: City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department Sunset Plaza Apartments, Los Angeles, CA
City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department

Built for Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Hoover, the Sunset Plaza Apartments was a rare example of a privately funded multi-family project by Paul R. Williams. Originally conceived as an apartment/hotel, this Georgian Revival-style building with interiors by Bullock’s, a premier luxury department store, offered the residents elegant, almost palatial surroundings in a grouping of home-like spaces without sacrificing the luxurious features found in single family residences.

Described as “stately and dignified” in a 1937 article in California Arts & Architecture, the Georgian-style architecture of the Sunset Plaza Apartments was a modernized California version. Each apartment unit had a compact kitchen filled with “all the latest gadgets to aid modern culinary arts” and tiled baths with full glass enclosed showers. With three wings built around a pool, the apartment complex was known for its spectacular view of Los Angeles at night when the city lights could be seen for miles.

Sunset Plaza Apartments was an excellent example of the California style of apartment living. Rental units in the eastern U.S. typically opened off long halls in high rise buildings. Williams' horizontal design allowed for more individuality in the arrangement of a unit's rooms, independent heating systems and an exterior treatment allowing each resident his own front door. While these touches added more to the building costs the Hoovers were able to recoup them through higher rents. The pool, tennis court, and attractive landscape were all part of Williams' original plans and were designed to take advantage of the California sunshine and climate. As important design elements these outdoor amenities extended the tenants' living space and formed a "nucleus for social festivites." (The Architect and Engineer, June 1937)

In 1980, the City of Los Angeles added the Sunset Plaza Apartments to the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. The building was demolished in July 1987.

« Back
Provided by The PRW Project | Terms of Use
Copyright © 2009-2012 The PRW Project. All Rights Reserved
Login  |  Powered by RocketFuel®