Higgins Building
Encyclopedia
The Higgins Building is a proto-Modernist
building rendered in the Beaux-Arts style located in downtown Los Angeles, California. Completed in 1910 by owner Thomas Higgins, an Irish American
, the 10-story building was originally used for office space. The architects were Albert C. Martin, Sr.
and A.L. Haley.It has been designated as a historical monument by the City as Historic-Cultural Monument #873.
The Higgins Building basement contained the city's first privately-owned power plant. General Petroleum
occupied six floors of the building for 15 years beginning in 1934. The building also housed the Los Angeles County Engineer Department for 25 years from 1952 until 1977.
After spending many years derelict and underwater, the building was finally rescued by entrepreneurs Andrew Meieran and Marc Smith. Developer Barry Shy converted the upstairs offices into rental lofts in 2003 (later converted to condominiums in 2005); and Meieran and Smith opened The Edison
in 2007, a post-industrial steampunk
-styled nightclub in the building's basement. The building has also been a filming location for several movies and television shows.
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
building rendered in the Beaux-Arts style located in downtown Los Angeles, California. Completed in 1910 by owner Thomas Higgins, an Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, the 10-story building was originally used for office space. The architects were Albert C. Martin, Sr.
Albert C. Martin, Sr.
Albert Carey Martin was an American architect and engineer.He founded the architectural firm of Albert C...
and A.L. Haley.It has been designated as a historical monument by the City as Historic-Cultural Monument #873.
The Higgins Building basement contained the city's first privately-owned power plant. General Petroleum
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
occupied six floors of the building for 15 years beginning in 1934. The building also housed the Los Angeles County Engineer Department for 25 years from 1952 until 1977.
After spending many years derelict and underwater, the building was finally rescued by entrepreneurs Andrew Meieran and Marc Smith. Developer Barry Shy converted the upstairs offices into rental lofts in 2003 (later converted to condominiums in 2005); and Meieran and Smith opened The Edison
The Edison
The Edison is a steampunk themed nightclub located inside the Higgins Building basement in Los Angeles, California. The Edison opened in 2007. The Higgins Building basement was Los Angeles' first ever power plant, built by Thomas Higgins...
in 2007, a post-industrial steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
-styled nightclub in the building's basement. The building has also been a filming location for several movies and television shows.