Redwine Building
The Redwine Building at Las Palmas and Selma Avenues in Hollywood. Photo: Margot Gerber
1618 North Las Palmas Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Year Built: 1931
Architect: Richard D. King
Case Number: CHC No.: CHC-2015-4247-HCM
The Redwine Building
Adopted as HCM: March 18, 2016
HCM No. 1114
The Redwine Building was built for attorney Hiram G. Redwine in the heart of Hollywood in 1931. Designed by Richard Douglas King, it is a rectangular two-story building designed in the Art Deco style. King began working in Los Angeles in 1911 where he remained until his death.
His best-known project is the Villa Riviera (1929) in Long Beach which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The property was once the location of a family residence but once constructed, the Redwine Building was used as an office building and meeting space.
The building retains many of its character defining features today including some interior elements. Its most notable character defining features can be found on the highly ornamented front façade. The roof above the front entry features a stepped pyramid that serves at the base of a flagpole. The verticality of the building is emphasized by the tall windows and the entryway featuring a full height three-tier inset design. Decorative panels over each of the second-floor windows have Art Deco designs as well as the symbol of the Freemasons. The panel over the door features motifs related to the practice of law, including the scales of justice, a gavel, and open book, to highlight Redwine’s profession. Inside, the main staircase banister and door hardware remain. The original floorplan also appears to be somewhat intact.
The owner of the property at the time of nomination was J and J Hollywood, LLC c/o Richard Shelby. The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles submitted the Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) nomination form for the building with a report prepared by Charles J. Fisher in July 2015.
As the campaign to get the building listed progressed the Los Angeles Conservancy and Hollywood Heritage submitted letters of support and spoke at hearings to support the nomination. In December 2015 the Cultural Heritage Commission officially began to consider the Redwine Building for nomination. A Facebook page was created for the building to promote the campaign in December 2015 and still has 266 people following it. To see additional images and posts about the nomination process visit the Facebook page for the Redwine Building.
ADSLA Member John Thomas spoke in favor of the nomination at the Planning & Land Use Management meeting in April and May of 2016. The Redwine Building was found to successfully meet the criteria for nomination as a key example of the Art Deco style as well as being a notable work from a master architect and was adopted as a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2016.