Downtown LA's oldest functioning commercial structure sits at the intersection of old and new, at the corner of slapdash and deliberate. Standing in front of somewhat unremarkable red brick exterior of the Bradbury Building on the corner of 3rd Street and Broadway, the scent of pizza and burgers from the nearby combination Sbarro/Carl's Jr. restaurant drifts past. The historic Bradbury Building rubs shoulders with open front garment shops, fast food chains, and discount bridal salons, but stands solid among its less architecturally lauded neighbors, steadfast as it has been for the last 106 years.
At first glance, you may wonder what has made this structure a cultural monument? Why was it listed in the National Register of Historic Places anyway? After all, it does not appear so monumental…from the outside.
It is the interior of the Bradbury Building that is so unique, and so remarkable.
The open atrium-like ceiling in the entry is the first standout feature, but once you can lower your eyes from its linear framework, the rest of the space is equally if not more beautiful.
Light from the sky filters through and illuminates the building's distinctive features: the detailed wrought iron railings, exposed elevator shafts, and a network of stone and iron staircases. Potted ferns and palms add a touch of greenery to the maze of dark wood and metalwork.
Real estate and mining millionaire Lewis Bradbury commissioned the construction of the office space in 1893, switching from his original architect (Sumner Hunt) to George H. Wyman whom he believed better comprehended his vision. It is a Victorian-style hybrid, both traditional and modern in its design.
The Bradbury has received moderate fame as the backdrop for a few feature films, the most well known in present day being Ridley Scott's Bladerunner (1982) in which the interior posed as a deserted apartment house in the future (the year 2019). Billy Wilder's film noir Double Indemnity (1944) also utilized the space, and other notables include Chinatown (1974), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and some episodes of mid-1990s sci-fi series The Outer Limits.
The Los Angeles Conservancy schedules tours of historic areas and sites in Los Angeles; the Bradbury Building is on the "Historic Core" walking tour which takes place every Saturday morning at ten. For more details about tour times and other nearby attractions, visit the conservancy's website listed below.
Attraction Information
- Contact:
- Location: 304 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA
- Phone: 213-626-1893
- Los Angeles Conservancy website: www.laconservancy.org
