Eastern Columbia Building
The Eastern Columbia Building, designed by Claud Beelman, opened in Los Angeles on September 12, 1930, after just nine short months of construction. It was built as the new headquarters of the Eastern-Columbia Department Store with Columbia apparel on the lower floors and Eastern furniture and housewares on the upper. It is built of steel reinforced concrete and clad in glossy turquoise terra cotta trimmed with deep blue and gold terra cotta. The City exempted the clock tower from the 150 foot building height limit, making it one of the largest buildings constructed in downtown until after WWII. This Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument has been characterized as the “benchmark of deco buildings in Los Angeles.” It became the Eastern Columbia Lofts after a $30 million conversion in 2006 into 140 luxury condominiums.
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Photographer: John Bare