1956-2014
In continuation of the previous post, the top photograph shows the southwest corner of First Street and Broadway in December, 1956. By then, most of the present block at the foot of Bunker Hill had been demolished in preparation for the State Office Building; all that remained were several buildings facing Second Street, including the 11-story Fashion League Building at Second and Hill Streets.
As evident from the present-day view, most of the surrounding area has been completely rebuilt in the past six decades. Bunker Hill was leveled during the 1960s, and the neighborhood has since been rebuilt with many of the skyscrapers that define Los Angeles’ modern skyline. The former site of the State Office Building is again under construction, this time for a federal courthouse designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Set for completion in 2016, the 625,000 square-foot facility will absorb the functions currently housed in the Spring Street Courthouse next to City Hall.
A 1956 view of the Fashion League Building on Second Street [USC Digital Library]
New United States Courthouse project page [SOM]
Sources:
1. Evans, Donna. “Long-awaited federal courthouse breaks ground.” Los Angeles Downtown News. 8 Aug. 2013. Link.
2. Guzmán, Richard. “Cheers, concern greet new federal building plan.” Los Angeles Downtown News. 3 Jul. 2012. Link.
Original photo: Conner, Palmer. “1st Street and Broadway.” 1956. Palmer Conner Collection of Color Slides of Los Angeles. Huntington Digital Library. The Huntington Library. http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15150coll2/id/7949/rec/24
urban diachrony 