The Mayors House

200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, California 90012

This never before sold 32 story tower landmark estate property was formerly known as the "Town Hall" and designed by Austin, Parkinson, and Martin. Situated in the middle of a historic neighborhood, this property is located close to the Red Line, churches, freeways, shopping, and restaurants, and across the street from the future LAPD Headquarters. This masterpiece was designed to resemble the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and all details inside and out are stunning. With an artful blend of classical and Mediterranean traditions, the lower portion is sheathed in California light gray granite, and the upper portion and tower is covered with terra cotta. The tower's concrete was made from sand taken from each of California's 58 counties and water from each of its 21 missions. The interior has a Romanesque influence, the color of the rotunda, passages, and vestibules consist of marbles from around the world. The walls are faced with French limestone and the ceiling is California Redwood. Its numerous attractions include a City Council Chamber with a basilica type of architecture containing carved wooden pews, decorative arched aisles, monolithic marble columns, and heavily beamed ceilings. All hardware is cast solid bronze, including the original light fixtures. The backyard is built out to the curb, but abundant side yards are loaded with mature landscaping and fountains.

The tallest building in California until 1964, and has probably starred in more movies and television series than most Hollywood actors. A major renovation and seismic retrofit project was completed in 2001 at a cost of $273M (per owner). The building is now supported with 526 base isolators, which allows the building to move independently of the ground and sustain an 8.1 quake, and is the tallest building in the world to receive such an upgrade. Each floor is separated by a flexible compression zone allowing it to twist and shake and still return to its original form. There is new central air throughout, new copper plumbing, and the main switchboard has a 1,250 horse power capacity, which is enough to power a city of 20,000. The 27th floor has a tower observation room.

Winner of the 2001 AIA Building Team of the year Award, the 2001 American Public Works Association (APWA) Historic Preservation Award, and the 2002 Cultural Heritage Commission Award.