Outposts of Unreality

Sam Gennawey, urban planner and theme park historian, talks to us about the cross-pollination of inspiration that happened in Los Angeles’ built environment. Set designers working on bombastic backdrops for Hollywood would also find themselves the architects of homes for celebrities and vice versa. In this city of dreamers and big ideas, themed restaurants such as Tam O’Shanter, Pig N Whistle or Clifton’s could exist, as well as the Babylonian themed archways in the City of Commerce, Disneyland and Universal Studios.