To most people the word Dingbat means either a typography style or Edith Bunker. The word does have another meaning. It is the name of a quirky architectural style. A Dingbat building is a style of architecture very popular in Southern California in the mid-century.
The Dingbat is notable for its tucked under parking. The ground floors of these buildings have parking spaces and the living space starts on the second level. They were very popular in Los Angles with its dense population and narrow lots. Dingbats are usually apartment buildings with normally two or threw stories.
The Dingbat has its detractors claiming them to be cheap looking and not the safest places during an earthquake. There is some truth in this reaction but they also have an essence of the mid-century modern Los Angeles look. Dingbats are now being looked at in a new light and being appreciated. The shear silliness of man of the buildings now have a quaint old time feel and very kitschy names.
Behind a high wall topped by an even higher fence is a building in Hollywood that is possibly the creepiest building in town. On the corner of Franklin Ave and Branson Ave is a very large building set off the road that looms ominously. The Building built in 1927 was named Chateau Elysee.
The Chateau Elysee was commissioned by Elinor Ince the widow of early film mogul Thomas Ince after he died. William Ince was one of the very early silent film makers in Los Angeles coming to the area in 1910. Ince died in 1924 under some murky circumstances. He and his wife Elinor were part of a weekend yachting party on the boat owned by William Randolph Hearst. Ince died of what was deemed a heart attack although there is a school of thought that say he was shot by Hearst. Elinor Ince inherited her husbands estate upon his death. The estate was said to have been $1,600,000. Part of Ince's estate was a lot of land on Franklin Ave. It was on this land that Elinor decided to build a luxury building in the at the time very popular style of Chateauesque architecture. Elinor Ince hired architect Arthur E. Harvey to design her building. It was named Chateau Elysee. The chateau, a seven story luxury hotel featured turrets, a bubbling steam, maid service and a dining room serving meals to its guests. It soon became a very fashionable address in Hollywood appealing to film stars and soon to be film stars. Residents that lived there over the years were Edward G. Robinson, Errol Flynn, Carole Lombard, Katherine Hepburn, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Clark Gable and others. The chateau with all its celebrity glitter also attracted non-celebrity guests who came for the season to stay among the famous in the luxurious rooms and apartments. Through out the 1930's and 40's it was one of the Hollywood's best respected addresses.
Elinor Ince sold the chateau in 1942. The building remained a coveted address. Times in Hollywood slowly changed and Hollywood became less of a desired neighborhood loosing much of its glamour to nearby Beverly Hills. In 1951 the chateau was converted into a luxury retirement home for those in their autumn years who have known gracious living and wish to continue without responsibilities. This was the chateau's raison d'etre for many years.
In 1969 The Church of Scientology rented the building to use as its "Celebrity Center". The chateau was purchased by the Scientologists in 1973. Most of the building is now used by the Scientologists as a hotel for their celebrity out of town guests and the top floors are used as offices. The grand conservatory is now a restaurant. There are tours of the building that can be arranged by contacting the Church of Scientology.
London now has what is officially the tallest building in Europe, the Shard. Standing 1,016 above ground level or 309.6 meters if you are a metric measurer The Shard towers literally over London. Built on the site where the Southwark Towers, a 70's office block, once was in the Southwark district of London not far from the Tower Bridge. The Shard replaces Frankfurt's Commerzbank Tower as Europe's tallest building atlthough its reign may be a short one as buildings under construction in Moscow and Paris are expcted to be taller. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano one of the designers of the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris the Shard is pyramidal shaped tower clad in glass inspired by an ice berg rising from the river Thames. When it opens to the public in 2013 there will be an a public viewing gallery on the 72 floor. The building resembling a shard of glass is covered with 11,000 panes of glass that will reflect the London sky. Apparently The Shard will often appear grey.
