Church of Scientology makes its mark on Hollywood with architectural style.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Holllywood was in a serious state of decay But that didn't matter to the Church of Scientology International. which began opening beautifully restored old buildings renovated to suit its needs.

Flash forward 15 years and church's buildings--such as the Hollywood Guaranty Building or Chateau Elysee--are firmly part of a rejuvenated Hollywood scene that reveres historic architecture and reuses it for new development.

"They've taken some really beautiful historic buildings and restored them or done creative adaptive reuse," said Kip Rudd, senior planner in the Hollywood office of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles. "They have done a terrific job in terms of the quality of work."

So how did the Church of Scientology--a controversial group known for celebrity converts such as Tom Cruise--become an adaptive reuse pioneer in Hollywood?

Hilary Royce, director of community affairs for the Church of Scientology, says that the group's founder, the late science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard saw older buildings as a link to a better future.

"When you have a historical building it represents the past and there is a lot of safety in the past." said Royce. who noted the group's current leader, David Miscaviage, also strongly backs adaptive reuse. "What we have really made a point of is to invest in the past and build a very strong, brighter, safer type of future. When you bring a building back to its original glory it is a very positive, flourishing type of communication."

The Church of Scientology's adaptive reuse program is not limited to Hollywood--there are landmark structures in place in London and San Francisco. However, some the group's Hollywood buildings are among its most famous. And it makes sense: Hubbard's students founded the group's first church in Los Angeles in 1959.

The group's most well-known building, which it calls Celebrity Centre International, is the former Chateau Elysee, an old hotel and apartment building. The Church of Scientology purchased the Franklin Avenue building in 1972 and used it during the renovation, which was completed in 1989. The complex includes religious facilities, an upscale restaurant and coffee shop, a hotel for extended religious retreats and a health spa.

Eleanor Ince, widow of film producer Thomas Ince, built the chateau in 1929 in what was then the popular style of a French-Normandy castle. It operated for years as a hotel to the stars and later as a retirement home for aging actors.

Several preservation experts noted the high quality of the organization's restoration work.

"They seem to have deep pockets." said Robert Nudelman, director of preservation issues for Hollywood Heritage.

Another of the group's projects, the Hollywood Guaranty Building, opened in 1991 after being newly restored to its original Beaux Arts state. The group purchased the 84-year-old former office building at 6331 Hollywood Blvd. in 1988. It now houses a museum dedicated to Hubbard and the Church of Scientology's international headquarters.

The group worked with the CRA and local conservation organizations to preserve the building during restoration. Often. that meant paying close attention to details. "The floors had been damaged and they have to be the same appearing tile (as the original tile) so you have to get the color match. It is pretty painstaking," said Robert Adams, vice president of public affairs for the Church of Scientology.

The group's adaptive reuse program in Hollywood continues, and is now focusing on the ongoing renovation of the Hollywood Inn, originally known as the Chelsea Hotel. The building will open in the next few years and house a Scientology life improvement and information center, Royce said.

The Georgian Colonial-style building at 6724 Hollywood Blvd. has gone through extensive seismic retrofitting and had a stucco exterior stripped to reveal the original architecture of the Christie Hotel, which opened in 1920. The building is a Hollywood historical landmark.

"I think they are both a pioneer in Hollywood and in the restoration of historic structures," Rudd said. "If people look at the buildings they've got and when they did them, it's pretty admirable."

INSTITUTION

Church of Scientology

Architectural Philosophy: The group has sought to renovate older structures because of the belief they serve as a link to the past that can project a vital and strong future.

Adaptive Reuse Projects: Key projects in Hollywood include the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, the Hollywood Guaranty Building, the Hollywood Inn and Chateau Elysee. The group also has renovated structures in San Francisco, New York, London and elsewhere worldwide.