Hollywood Athletic Club
The Hollywood Athletic Club was founded by Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille and Rudolph Valentino. Designed by Meyer & Holler, the architectural firm that built Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the H.A.C. opened on New Year’s Eve of 1924. At the time, it was the tallest building in Hollywood. Some of its amenities included an Olympic sized pool, a gymnasium, steam rooms, saunas, handball and racquet ball courts, hotel rooms and garden suites, a restaurant and game rooms. The H.A.C. hosted the PanAm Chess Tournament with sixteen International Master players in 1945 and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences first Emmy Awards in 1949. A major restoration has returned it to its original form and it used as a creative office space, event venue, restaurant space and filming location.
Hollywood, Los Angeles County
Images by Andrew Schmidt