Bradbury Building
Los Angeles
The Bradbury Building is an office building from 1893. It is the oldest commercial building left in downtown Los Angeles. It is famous for its inner courtyard full of light.
A millionaire and his dream
Lewis Bradbury had made his fortune in mining and real estate. He wanted a spectacular office building, to leave the city a reminder of his name. He asked architect Sumner Hunt for a design, but then gave the construction to George Wyman. Even today no one knows for sure who decided the final design.
Simple outside, magical inside
The facade is plain, in the Romanesque style of the time. Inside, a courtyard rises five floors, with marble stairs and decorated iron railings. The railings were made in France and shown at a big fair in Chicago before arriving here.
A movie star
The building has appeared in many famous movies, from the 1940s to today. Directors love its courtyard because it seems suspended between past and future.
A protected treasure
In the early 1990s the building was carefully restored. Today it is a National Historic Landmark. We admire it from the street: look closely at the facade, every detail tells of the 1800s.
