Los Angeles Fine Arts Building: Architecture and Design
This paper examines the architectural style and design philosophy of the Los Angeles Fine Arts Building, a 12-story Romanesque structure designed by Walker & Eisen and completed in 1925. The paper traces the building's history, from its original conception as a cultural hub for artists and bohemians to its conversion into office space after the Great Depression, and its eventual restoration in 1983. It analyzes specific design elements—including terracotta ornamentation, bronze sculptures by Burt Johnson, a Spanish Renaissance courtyard lobby, and a central fountain—arguing that every material choice and spatial decision reflects the principle that form should follow function.
- Introduction: Form Follows Function: Thesis: design reflects artistic purpose of building
- Walker & Eisen and the Building's History: Architects, date, location, and original vision
- Romanesque Exterior and Ornamentation: Arches, terracotta sculptures, and facade details
- Materials and Craftsmanship: Why terracotta and bronze were chosen
- The Lobby and Interior Experience: Spanish Renaissance courtyard, fountain, and spatial feel
- Decline, Conversion, and Restoration: Post-Depression reuse and 1983 restoration
- Conclusion: Building as testament to form following function
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper opens with a memorable hook — unpacking the cliché "form follows function" — and sustains that theme as a unifying thread across all sections, giving the analysis structural coherence.
- The author moves the reader physically through the building (exterior arch, facade sculptures, foyer, lobby, upper stories), creating a guided-tour narrative that makes the architectural analysis intuitive and engaging.
- Specific details — the names of sculptors, the floors on which particular works appear, the building's successive owner names — add credibility and demonstrate genuine research into primary and archival sources.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses sustained thematic analysis: rather than simply cataloguing design features, the author repeatedly returns to the central claim that the building's design choices communicate artistic intent. Every element discussed — materials, scale, symmetry, water features — is linked back to the thesis about form and function, demonstrating how descriptive observation can support an interpretive argument.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a thesis and brief history before moving through the building exterior-to-interior, analyzing ornamentation, materials, spatial experience, and sensory effect. It then shifts to historical narrative (post-1929 decline and 1983 restoration) before returning to the thesis in the conclusion. This exterior-to-interior-to-history structure mirrors the experience of visiting the building itself.
Introduction: Form Follows Function
"Form follows function" may be a cliché nowadays — one parroted in chic commercials for high-end luxury sedans — but at some point, before the phrase devolved into a catchphrase for car advertisements, it carried real meaning. The architects who designed and built the Los Angeles Fine Arts Building knew what it meant, and they applied that philosophy to their stunning 12-story masterpiece in the city of angels. The design of the Fine Arts Building not only enriches its architecture but gives voice to the activities of the building's original tenants (Several, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the elements of architectural style found in the Los Angeles Fine Arts Building and to demonstrate how every design decision reflects an overarching artistic intent.
Walker & Eisen and the Building's History
The Los Angeles Fine Arts Building was designed by the acclaimed duo of Walker & Eisen — that is, Albert R. Walker and Percy A. Eisen. It was built in 1925, during the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented urban growth and construction, and is located at 811 West 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles. The building was conceived as more than just a structure; it was intended to be a cultural mecca for artists, bohemians, and other visionaries of Los Angeles (Several, 1999). The ultimate goal of Walker & Eisen was to create an ideal place — one that was itself a work of art — where people could create, showcase, and enjoy art.
Romanesque Exterior and Ornamentation
The first thing one notices about the Fine Arts Building is its Romanesque style. Even without knowing the term, a visitor immediately senses that this building is different. It is clearly set apart from the nondescript structures that surround it. The carefully wrought, semi-circular, two-story arch of the facade signals to the visitor that he or she is about to experience something special.
Upon closer inspection, this sensation is only deepened by the architectural sculptures on the building's exterior. On the terracotta arch itself, the visitor is confronted by an array of stylized birds, griffins, gargoyles, and flowers. On other parts of the facade, there are sculptures of flute players and other assorted fantastic creatures (Several, 1999). This degree of attention to detail is not something a resident of Los Angeles is accustomed to seeing in local architecture.
These details continue as one looks up the towering edifice and prepares to enter. Two large terracotta figures representing "Architecture" (on the viewer's left) and "Sculpture" (on the viewer's right) lean into ledges on the third story. The inimitable Burt Johnson was commissioned to create these works. As the eye travels upward, two nude figures are perched on ninth-story ledges, and two twelve-foot-high panels titled "Inspiration" mark the twelfth story (Los Angeles Conservancy).
As one enters the Fine Arts Building, more of Burt Johnson's work comes into view: seventeen bronze figures line the foyer and the corridor, which eventually leads to what has been described as a "Spanish Renaissance 'courtyard' lobby with a galleried mezzanine" and fountain (Several, 1999).
Conclusion
Today, when one looks at the Fine Arts Building, it is clear that it was constructed with a purpose in mind — a purpose painstakingly incorporated into every square inch of its design, from the materials and layout to the ornamentation and sensory appeal. The Fine Arts Building is a treasure to behold and a testament to an architecture that embraces the notion that form should always follow function.
Works Cited
Several, M. (1999, November). Fine arts building background information. Retrieved from http://www.publicartinla.com/Downtown/FineArts/background.html
Los Angeles Conservancy Tours. (n.d.). Los Angeles Fine Arts Building. Retrieved from
Vincent, R. (2008, May 27). Fine Arts Building: Los Angeles attorneys to do justice to Fine Arts Building. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from
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