Guests enjoy a light reception in the lobby of the DWP Building. Photo by Chris Green.

On September 30, 2009, the Conservancy and our Modern Committee kicked off “The Sixties Turn 50” with a free panel discussion at the Department of Water and Power Building (A.C. Martin & Associates, 1965) in downtown Los Angeles. Experts in architecture, preservation, and SoCal modernism examined the critical issues facing 1960s preservation, such as:

• How important is actual historic fabric to structures built with mass-produced and/or experimental materials, which are easily replicated or perhaps weren't designed to last for generations?
• How do we adapt car-oriented designs to the contemporary desire for pedestrian-friendly communities?
• While a number of 1960s architects pioneered energy-efficient modern design, many others didn’t, instead taking full advantage of the era’s cheap and plentiful energy. How do we enhance the sustainability of these buildings while maintaining their historic character?

Moderator: Frances Anderton
Host of DnA: Design & Architecture
Frances Anderton is the host of DnA: Design and Architecture, which airs monthly on 89.9 KCRW and KCRW.com. She is also a producer of KCRW's national and local current affairs shows, To The Point, and Which Way, L.A.? Originally from Bath, England, her father was a builder who specialized in historic Georgian architecture; subsequently, she became an avowed Modernist. Upon arriving in L.A. 19 years ago, she moved into a 1962 Frank Gehry-designed apartment in Ocean Park and has happily remained there ever since. Ms. Anderton is the L.A. Editor for Dwell magazine and a regular contributor on the topic of Los Angeles design and architecture to The New York Times and many other publications. She was recently named Honorary AIA/LA by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Panelist: Christine Madrid French
Director, Modernism + Recent Past Initiative, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Christine Madrid French was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Utah in Architectural Studies in 1992 and later moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the National Park Service as an historian. After four years documenting historic resources in the parks of the mid-Atlantic and western states, she left government service to earn her master's degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia. She is also a writer and photographer, with her work appearing in U.S. News & World Report, Virginia Living, Modernism Magazine, and Landscape Architecture. Ms. French co-founded the Recent Past Preservation Network in 2000 and served as the president for nine years. She currently serves on the 20th-Century Heritage Committee for the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

Panelist: Alan Hess
Architect, Architectural Historian, and Author
Alan Hess is a preeminent authority on the mid-twentieth-century architectural history of Southern California. As a practicing architect and historian, Mr. Hess documents the emerging suburban metropolises of the West. As an architecture critic, he has written a column for the San Jose Mercury News since 1986. Mr. Hess' books document and interpret neglected mid-century, popular, suburban, and Modern architecture and include Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture, Viva Las Vegas, The Ranch House, Rancho Deluxe, Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, and Palm Springs Weekend. Mr. Hess is currently researching the architecture of Irvine, California, one of the United States’ largest master-planned communities of the 1960s and 1970s.

Alan Hess presenting on Los Angeles Modernism. Photo by LAC staff.

Panelist: Leo Marmol, FAIA
Managing Principal, Marmol Radziner and Associates
Leo Marmol is the Managing Principal of Marmol Radziner and Associates (MRA), a Los Angeles-based firm established in 1989 with Ron Radziner, FAIA. MRA is an architecture practice with a reputation for its innovative design, sustainable architecture, and prolific restoration work. In 1998, the firm completed restoration of the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, originally designed in 1946 by Richard Neutra. In 2000, the firm completed the restoration of two other Neutra houses (the Lew House and the Brown House), and restored Rudolf Schindler's Elliot House. Most recently, MRA finished restoring two Cliff May houses and John Lautner's 1962 Garcia House. Active in his profession, Mr. Marmol has lectured widely on the topic of architecture and restoration; participated in conferences, symposia and panel discussions; and organized numerous architectural tours in Southern California. 

Panelist: David C. Martin, FAIA
Design Principal and Co-Chairman, AC Martin Partners, Inc.
David Martin is an award-winning designer who has been involved in major design projects globally. His designs reflect a keen sensitivity to context and community/cultural vernacular, and many of his projects have dealt successfully with complex environmental, energy saving, and building technology issues. Since 1906, the firm of AC Martin Partners has held a design philosophy based on quality, innovation, and stewardship. The firm has produced a remarkable body of work filled with landmarks of and for the communities they represent -- including the site of tonight's panel. Mr. Martin represents the third generation of the Martin family to lead the firm’s rich legacy of architecture in Los Angeles and beyond.  He is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Southern California, and has taught at the USC School of Architecture.

Panelist: Chris Nichols
Associate Editor, Los Angeles magazine
Chris Nichols started his volunteer career with the Los Angeles Conservancy in 1988. He is a passionate advocate for historic Los Angeles and spends the majority of his time working with the Conservancy’s Modern Committee on recent past preservation efforts, including a stint as chair. He joined Los Angeles magazine in 2000 and brings a historical perspective to the magazine with pieces on lost neon, vintage road trips, and the last elevator operator in L.A. Mr. Nichols writes the magazine’s "Ask Chris" column and recently published a book about Los Angeles architect Wayne McAllister.

More than 100 guests enjoyed a light reception following the program. The event was part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Modernism + The Recent Past Program’s Modern Module project.

While many questions surrounding the preservation of 1960s resources remain, this panel started a very important discussion. On the day following the program, the dialogue continued at a National Trust for Historic Preservation Modern Module roundtable with leaders in preservation.

About the Department of Water and Power Building

The DWP Building. Photo by LAC staff.

The iconic DWP Building, now known as the John Ferraro Building, opened in May 1965.  Designed by the firm of Albert C. Martin and Associates, the project cost $32 million, financed by DWP revenues.  The 17-story, 880,537 square-foot building was designed and engineered to be energy efficient and cost effective into the future – and to be a powerful visual statement about the DWP.

The glass curtainwall façade allowed light from inside the building to glow at night like a beacon, and an innovative ceiling system captured the heat from the lights so that keeping all the lights on was actually energy efficient.  The 15-foot overhangs at each floor not only provided visual distinction, but minimized sunlight hitting the glass, and thus cut down on air-conditioning.

The interior floor plan was created to be as flexible as possible, with an eye to future growth and changing needs.  Systems such as elevators and restrooms were built into the central core of the building, with the rest of the floor open to be arranged with modular walls as best suited each department. 

The signature pool and fountains surrounding the building were designed to carry one-third of the building’s air-conditioning load by recirculating water.  Dramatically lit at night, the building and fountains gave instant recognition to the DWP, both to commuters on the Harbor Freeway and to thousands of patrons each night at the Music Center across the street.

The DWP Building was named as one of the Top Ten "People's Choice" Civic/Institutional Buildings in our fall 2009 poll. The voting continues with new categories rolling out through June 2010 - click here for details.