Oviatt Building & Penthouse
617 S. Olive St., L.A., CA 90014
213-622-6096
http://www.oviatt.com/
Museum Type: Architecture
Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2008 | 7:00 PM |
Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club |
| Aug 03, 2008 | 7:00 PM |
Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club |
| Aug 10, 2008 | 7:00 PM |
Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club |
| Aug 17, 2008 | 7:00 PM |
Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club |
| Aug 24, 2008 | 7:00 PM |
Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club |
About
On a 1925 business trip to France, Oviatt attended the Parisian Decorative Arts Exhibition and fell in love with the sleek elegance of Art Deco. The Los Angeles entrepreneur had furniture, a store marquee and other design elements custom-made in France. The stylish haberdasher then commissioned a fleet of French architects and engineers to travel to California and transform his Italian Romanesque building into a Deco showplace.
Rene Lalique personally designed and installed 30 tons of decorative glass for the lobby of the building. Lalique's sculptured masterpieces are still visible in the building's marquee, restaurant and penthouse. James Oviatt's two-story penthouse was far more opulent than the rooftop bungalow described in the newspapers of the day. The lavish merchant not only furnished the apartment with exquisite Parisian furniture, but surrounded his swimming pool with a strand of imported French sand. Oviatt hosted many star-studded gatherings on his private Riviera, and the penthouse is still rented out for private parties.
Alexander and Oviatt is now an Italian restaurant called Cicada, but quaint architectural details in the dining room recall its former incarnation. Built-in drawers once used to store hats and gloves now hold the restaurant's silver and table linens. Cicada's softly lit dining room, gold-leaf ceiling and mirrored bar continue the Oviatt tradition of downtown grandeur. If you're planning an evening of dining and theater, Cicada also provides complimentary shuttle service to the Music Center.
For Penthouse rental, call 213-488-9951.
more...
TODAY
Wifredo Lam in North America @ Museum of Latin American Art
Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner @ The Armand Hammer Art Museum
Farmers Market/3rd St. Food Tasting Tour @ The Original Los Angeles Farmers Market
Group Show: Marilyn Forever Young @ Andrew Weiss Gallery
Group Show: Contradictions and Complexities -- Contemporary Art From India @ d.e.n. contemporary
What's Nearby
| 1 | Cicada Restaurant 0.00 miles |
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| 2 | Oviatt Building & Penthouse 0.00 miles |
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| 3 | Mocha Java Express 0.01 miles |
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| 4 | Happy Bowl 0.01 miles |
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| 5 | Ll Cafe Plus 0.01 miles |
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