Los Angeles Conservancy Lights Up Central Library Tower as Gift to City to Mark 25 Years of Preservation Achievement.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 2003

The Los Angeles Conservancy has illuminated the tower and pyramid cap of the Richard J. Riordan Central Library as a permanent gift to the City of Los Angeles to mark its 25th anniversary. Mayor James K. Hahn and Conservancy President Douglas J. Gardner threw the switch to light up the landmark on November 14.

The Conservancy was formed in 1978 when the library was threatened with the wrecking ball when a plan was circulated to replace it with two 50-story towers. The library was designed by Bertram Goodhue, a leading architect of the period who drew on indigenous Southern California and Spanish Classicism styles to create a building that is still unique today. The library opened on July 6, 1926.

"Although hardly the first Los Angeles landmark to face demolition, the Central Library was the last straw," said Dishman. "The prospect of losing the library galvanized the preservation community and served as the catalyst to form the Conservancy.

"Goodhue's theme for the building was the 'Light of Learning' so we thought lighting the tower perfectly realized the concept," continued Dishman. The distinctive pyramid tower that crowns the building and symbolizes the quest for knowledge will be lit each evening on the city skyline. It was the first of several pyramids to cap Los Angeles landmarks including City Hall and MOCA.

Even after the newly formed Conservancy succeeded in securing a pledge from the city to preserve the library and plans were under way for its renovation and expansion, the building was damaged by an arson fire in 1986, during which close to 400,000 books were destroyed. Lodwrick M. Cook, then chairman of Arco, organized a "Save the Books" campaign to raise the money to save many water-damaged books and replace the lost collections. Although plans for its demolition were again circulated at that time, the Conservancy redoubled its efforts to preserve the landmark. In 1993, the library re-opened following a meticulous restoration of the original structure and the addition of a 300,000-square-foot wing as well as the recreation of the library's original gardens.

The Los Angeles Conservancy has been a major force in preserving the city's rich heritage, including such treasures as the Wiltern Theater, Bullocks Wilshire, Wilshire May Company, and St. Vibiana's Cathedral. In response to the rampant destruction of post-World War II buildings that defined Southern California, the Conservancy created a Modern Committee that has built a national reputation as a leader in Modernism preservation. The organization's longest running preservation effort, saving the legendary Ambassador Hotel, is heading toward a climax in the next few months. The Conservancy has led efforts to provide design solutions and funding options to preserve the hotel as the centerpiece of a Los Angeles public school campus.

The Los Angeles Conservancy (www.laconservancy.org), the largest membership-based, local historic preservation organization in the country, is dedicated to the recognition, preservation and revitalization of the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Conservancy grew out of the community-based effort to prevent demolition of the Richard J. Riordan Central Library. The organization has grown to a membership of over 8,500 households, including more than 400 volunteers. With a two-fold mission of advocacy and education, the Conservancy works to preserve existing architectural resources by developing preservation strategies and by raising public awareness of the value of those resources through tours, lectures, publications and major programs such as Last Remaining Seats and its annual Preservation Awards.