Deco Wilshire

Overview Despite being only two stories tall and dwarfed by its surroundings, this dazzling black-and-gold terra cotta building with zigzag modern ornamentation commands attention despite its small size. Morgan, Walls, and Clements, one of the oldest continuously operating architectural firms on the West Coast and a driving force in the development of various forms of revival and moderne architecture in Los Angeles, designed the building. A notable feature of the structure is that it is one of the city's last remaining black-and-gold Art Deco structures, and that it is a scaled-down version of the firm's downtown Richfield building (built in 1928; demolished in 1968). It was originally constructed as a neighborhood branch bank, and it served in this capacity until 1970. The building was originally used as a restaurant/nightclub, and it was later converted into a Christian center. After years of disrepair, the building was beautifully restored and converted into short- and long-term creative office space for rent. It is also available for private parties and special events.