Alexander & Oviatt
| Company type | Commercial building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Real estate, hospitality |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Office space, restaurant and lounge (Cicada) |
The James Oviatt Building, commonly referred to as The Oviatt Building, is an Art Deco skyscraper situated on Olive Street in Downtown Los Angeles, close to Pershing Square. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and is recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
Currently, the structure accommodates the Cicada Restaurant and Lounge.
History
The building derives its name from James Zera Oviatt (1888–1974), who moved to Los Angeles in 1909 to work as a window dresser at C.C. Desmond's Department Store. In 1912, Oviatt partnered with hat salesman Frank Baird Alexander to establish the Alexander & Oviatt men's haberdashery located at 209 West Fourth Street. Their silent partner was Frank Shaver Allen, a prosperous former architect.
Oviatt’s travels across Europe exposed him to French Art Deco design, which influenced the 1928 architectural style of the Oviatt Building and its penthouse. During the 1950s and 1960s, however, Oviatt supported white supremacist groups and distributed hate materials through his business, resulting in public outrage and a customer boycott that ultimately caused the store’s closure in 1966.
The Los Angeles architectural firm Walker & Eisen designed the building, with construction commencing in August 1927 and concluding by May 1928. Notable features include a 12-ton illuminated glass cornice and an arcade ceiling created by architect Ferdinand Chanut in collaboration with glass artisan Gaëtan Jeannin. Celebrated artist René Lalique contributed molded glass elevator doors, chandeliers, and a prominent panel clock. The building also showcases imported French 'Napoleon' marble and a distinctive three-faced clock tower equipped with chimes crafted by Ateliers Brillié Frères, enhancing its architectural prominence.
In popular culture
Raymond Chandler’s 1943 novel The Lady in the Lake includes a fictional "Treloar Building," which is frequently associated with the Oviatt Building due to its "vast black and gold lobby" and sophisticated design.
A feature-length documentary exploring the history of the Oviatt Building was released in 2008, directed by Seth Shulman and produced by Marc Chevalier.
In 2015, the exterior of Cicada was used as the fictional Hotel Cortez for American Horror Story: Hotel. The building has also appeared in movies such as Bruce Almighty, Don't Worry Darling, and the Academy Award-winning film Mank.
Under the Rose Productions, a theatre company based in Los Angeles, staged an immersive production titled “Castle in the Sky”, drawing inspiration from James Oviatt’s penthouse during Prohibition. This theatrical experience was accompanied by a short documentary detailing its making alongside a feature-length film.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Downtown Los Angeles
External links
- Skyscraper office buildings in Los Angeles
- Buildings and structures in Downtown Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles
- Office buildings completed in 1927
- 1927 establishments in California
- Commercial buildings completed in 1928
- Art Deco architecture in California
- Defunct department stores based in Downtown Los Angeles