July 24, 2004 LA: Capitol Rare 1 (1 of 2)
The address itself may not mean anything to most people or even to most residents of
Hollywood, but 1750 Vine St. is home to a 13-storey building that is an instantly
recognizable architectural icon of Los
Angeles. The Capitol Records building suggests a stack of 45-rpm records
on a turntable spindle. The structure was built in 1956, supposedly at
the urging of Capitol recording stars Nat King Cole and
Johnny Mercer, as the new headquarters for the hugely successful
recording label. Architecturally nothing looked like the building then
and nothing quite looks like it even now, almost fifty years after its
completion. Designed by Welton Beckett, the structure is especially
significant in that it is the world's first circular office building and
a prime example of futurism. That was a big deal
back in '56, but now buildings come in all sorts of un-box-like
curvilinear shapes. The tip of the needle-like spire (see image 2 of 2 here) has a light that
blinks out the spelling for Hollywood in Morse code into the low-rise
skyline. On the south wall, at the base of the building, is a
famous mural called "Hollywood Jazz," which includes images of Nat King
Cole and Billie Holiday. The star for John Lennon in the Hollywood "Walk
of Fame" is set in the sidewalk in front of the building.
Ivan Corsa Photo
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