![]() ![]() The theater building is owned by the Delijani family, which also owns the Los Angeles Theatre and two other historic Broadway movie houses. “The significance of the brand cannot be understated,” he said. Also across the street is a 1915 office building clad in white marble that has been restored but has no tenants yet.Īpple’s decision to invest there as a tenant is a validation of its real estate location, Moore said, perhaps bringing enough cachet to persuade other high-end retailers to join it downtown. Will you be there for the premiere?įollow our retail guide for in-depth coverage of the latest Apple Store news.Neighbors include a Vans shoe store and Urban Outfitters, which occupies the former Rialto Theatre. When the opening credits roll and the Tower Theatre comes to life again, it’ll be Apple’s job to celebrate the arts and culture of Los Angeles through Today at Apple, reminding visitors of the building’s cinema past and creative future. The arrival of international brands and boutique restaurants with a universal design taste makes Downtown Los Angeles feel just a little more like any other city. Downtown no longer feels like a strange location for an Apple Store.īroadway is growing, but with it has come a homogenizing force brushing the streets and storefronts of some unique character. Compared to last year, the area felt cleaner, safer, and better maintained. Next door to Apple, signage is already lit in the window for the Vans flagship store promised to open in fall 2019. All of Downtown Los Angeles is still rapidly evolving. It’s not just Tower Theatre that’s changing. According to the Los Angeles Theatres blog, considerable demolition work has already been completed inside. The exterior lights weren’t on when I visited just after sunset on the 3rd, but lights inside on the second floor offered a glimpse of scaffolding and construction. The LA Historic Theatre Foundation reported in October that new exterior lighting is being trialed on the clock tower and 8th Street facade. Just below, graffiti from a tagging this past summer has been scrubbed. These features will likely be used as templates to recreate missing or damaged details elsewhere on the building.īlue painter’s tape maps a grid of points on the terra-cotta tiling near the front of the building. ![]() Small elements - a decorative cast iron column, a few pieces of terra-cotta, and canopy detailing - have been removed. Visible work on theater’s iconic and severely damaged namesake tower has yet to begin, but hints of progress can be found all over the facade. The tenant spaces have been removed, and new doors will open the main store area directly to the street. Last year, the theater’s 8th Street facade was still carved up by a collection of shuttered and recently relocated shops. The ornate 8th Street canopy has been reinforced with plywood supports so crews can work above. Right: November 2019.īlack construction walls obscure the Broadway entrance and cover every ground-floor window. Apple’s renderings show that the theater’s original 1927 marquee will be recreated. The 1960s-era marquee is partially demolished, with scaffolding rising on top of the remaining portion. Over the past year, the arched stained glass window above the theater’s entrance has been boarded over, presumably for cleaning and releading. That’s sure to be the case in Los Angeles as well, where exterior work on the Tower Theatre appears slow but steady. The latest project, Apple Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., shows that a proper restoration takes time but is well worth the wait. Last Sunday, November 3, I revisited the Tower to check in on its restoration progress.Īpple has rehabilitated dozens of historic buildings, mostly outside of the United States. The terra-cotta structure was still immaculately detailed, but tired and worn from decades of neglect and nearly a century of opening nights. ![]() Late in October 2018, I documented the dilapidated state of the Tower Theatre just as Apple’s renovations were beginning. With stores in L.A.’s suburbs but none downtown, the Tower presented an excellent opportunity for Apple to grow in a way that exemplifies its modern retail values. Last August, Apple officially unveiled its plans for the Tower Theatre after nearly three years of rumors. Here’s a look at what’s been done so far. Apple’s restoration of the building will save an important part of Los Angeles culture and draw new energy to downtown’s core. Broadway’s Tower Theatre is undergoing the largest transformation in its 92-year history. Apple’s isn’t ready to premiere its first retail store in Downtown Los Angeles just yet, but the stage is set. ![]()
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