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Richfield Tower

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Richfield Tower
Map
Interactive map of the Richfield Tower area
General information
StatusDemolished
Architectural style
Art Deco
Location555 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Coordinates34°03′03″N 118°15′25″W / 34.050799°N 118.256966°W / 34.050799; -118.256966
Construction started
1928
Completed
1929
DemolishedNovember 12, 1968[1] – spring 1969[2]
Cost$1,750,000
ClientRichfield Oil Co.[2]
Height
Height372 feet (113 m)
Technical details
Structural systemSteel skeleton
Floor count12
Design and construction
ArchitectStiles O. Clements

Richfield Tower, also known as the Richfield Oil Company Building, was an office tower that served as the headquarters of the Richfield Oil Corporation in Los Angeles, California. It was constructed between 1928 and 1929 and demolished in 1969, replaced by City National Plaza.

History

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It was designed by Stiles O. Clements and featured a black and gold Art Deco façade. The unusual color scheme was meant to symbolize the "black gold" that was Richfield's business. Haig Patigian did the exterior sculptures.[1]

The 12-floor building was 372 feet (113 m) tall, including a 130-foot (40 m) tower atop the building, emblazoned vertically with the name "Richfield". Lighting on the tower was made to simulate an oilwell gusher and the motif was reused at some Richfield service stations.[1]

The company outgrew the building, and it was demolished in 1969, much to the dismay of Los Angeles residents and those interested in architectural preservation, to make way for the ARCO Plaza skyscraper complex. The elaborate black-and-gold elevator doors were salvaged from the building and reside in the lobby of the new ARCO building (City National Tower).[3]

The two golden elevator doors were installed as public art inside the City National Plaza (formerly the Arco Tower), the building that replaced the Richfield Tower.[4][5]

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See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Richfield Oil Company Building". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Richfield Oil Building, 555 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA". Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Scott (June 13, 2016). "A beloved L.A. tower — and the winged 'army' that stood guard — is gone but not forgotten". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ "City National Plaza".
  5. ↑ "The Downtown Los Angeles Buildings That Oil Built". PBS SoCal. September 27, 2022.

Further reading

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  • Felton, Dave (April 10, 1969). "Building's 'Guards' Now Lie Strewn in Wrecking Yard". Los Angeles Times. p. C1.
  • Gebhard, David (1970). The Richfield Building, 1928–1968. Santa Barbara: Atlantic Richfield Co. ASIN B0007HRZ6S.
  • Hebert, Ray (March 9, 1967). "Plaza Complex Slated for Richfield Block". Los Angeles Times. p. B1.
  • Hebert, Ray (August 18, 1967). "Admirers Would Save 1929 Richfield Building". Los Angeles Times. p. A6.
  • "Downtown Structure to be Guide". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 1929. p. E2.
  • "Oilman Killed in Plunge from 12th Floor Office". Los Angeles Times. August 30, 1950. p. 17.
  • "Crews Move In to Dismantle Landmark Richfield Building". Los Angeles Times. November 13, 1968. p. A1.
  • "A Backyard Cheops Visits His Pyramid". Los Angeles Times. April 19, 1970. p. E1.
  • Weaver, John D. (April 18, 1971). "The Miracle of Sixth and Flower". Los Angeles Times. p. P9.
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Richfield Oil Company Building at Wikimedia Commons
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Richfield Tower
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