Despite its being removed from consideration by its developers (led by Steve Ullman who was responsible for demolition of the Hollywood Brown Derby) in 2001, a “modern” multi-angled glass structure has returned to impact Hollywood. The building is to be 2-stories tall with an extended area above for an open-air club or performance space. The location would be at the northeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive, currently a parking lot adjacent to the west side of Grauman’s Chinese Theater and directly across the street from the landmark Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, both opened in 1927.
While Hollywood Heritage has not opposed the idea of something being built on that site, it has been strongly opposed to the design for the proposed structure. Hollywood Heritage led its opposition in 2001. The space is in the midst of an area affected by such questionable modern architecture over the past few years, enough that the boundaries of the National Register Historic District may have to be altered if this project goes through as planned.
To the west of the lot, across Orange Drive, is the 1929 Don Lee Cadillac Building, an Art Deco building in the District, and the failed Hollywood Galaxy, a 1991 two level stucco “shopping center,” a problem from day one. Across from the Chinese is the 1970 TV Guide Building, a 12-story glass box that has recently covered its front set-back with glass storefronts and a belt of advertising for off-site companies that wraps around two sides of the second and third floors. On the east side of the Chinese is the 2001 Hollywood and Highland project, another mix of modern architecture and billboards which has experienced a write down of its value by half since its opening.
In other words, modern architecture here has been neither successful nor appropriate, although Hollywood and Highland’s recreations of the movie Intolerance’s 547 B.C. Babylonian architecture has been well received. Design within the historic district is not supposed to be a copy of what’s there, but is supposed to complement it and relate to it. Whereas the size of the proposed project is fine, a multi-directional, or crumpled, box of glass windows neither complements nor relates to the 90 plus landmarks within the district. In addition, the project is planned to include two large billboards and a jumbo video screen for even more advertising.
Unfortunately, all the multitudes of new or planned billboards and video screens for around the Chinese Theater are destroying the environment of old Hollywood that people come here to see (no one is turning around to take pictures of the TV Guide Building). This, along with the new proposed inappropriate architecture, is ruining this end of the historic district and is having the potential of forcing a shrinkage of the boundaries, as buildings would have to be relisted individually, if their owners would approve it, unlikely as that is.
This development free-for-all needs to stop and the long promised (since 1986) development guidelines for the Historic District must be put in place. This project, as proposed, cannot go forward, regardless of who the architects are. There are plenty of other, more appropriate, locations for such a project. Mann Theaters, owners of the Chinese where they have recently invested over $7 million on its ongoing restoration, have also opposed the design of the proposed structure.
As a sidelight to this, the developers’ attorneys had strongly opposed the Hollywood and Highland project in 1998 environmental documents. They said that its design was out of context with the area, particularly the neighboring Chinese Theater. These same legal arguments could be made today for their project, and will be made if necessary.