Examining Some of Los Angeles's Remarkable Architecture from 1972

As we at PBS SoCal (a.k.a. KOCE) reflect back on our history, we can’t help but consider what Southern California was like at the time of our nascent broadcasts.

We share our inaugural year with a lot of area milestones and landmarks. As most here know, Los Angeles, and its surrounding areas, are chock full of legendary architecture.

In 1972 — the year of the first KOCE broadcast — many buildings popped up around the area, but a specific one caught our collective eye.

Architect William Pereira completed the 10-story corporate property (once known as the “Great Western Bank Building” and then “Flynt Publications” and now “LFP”) in 1972.

It’s not just the building’s shape that’s remarkable, but also how the shape came to be.

According to LA Conservancy:

The shape itself wasn’t arbitrary nor simply intended to make the building stand out. Pereira was known for considering how the architecture affected the environment (and vice versa). The design was intended to maximize the leasable space—by allowing for elevators and stairs in the center, the surrounding office space was all up for grabs.

Pereira’s architectural influence and imprint in Southern California goes beyond 8484 Wilshire. He and his firm(s) designed much of the University of California, Irvine—including many buildings and the campus layout. They designed CBS Television City in the Fairfax area, Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Los Angeles International Airport and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among many other buildings around the country.

As for the 50-year-old building on Wilshire, Great Western Bank has since moved on but the location is now home to attorneys, therapists, media-makers, doctors, several consulates and many other tenants.

Image by Flickr user Travis Nep Smith, used following Creative Commons guidelines

This article was updated Jan. 26, 2023.