Alexander, Foam and Mesh-Embellished Ruler of SoHo Apartments

Photo by Woody Henkel

The LA Times finally explains what the deal is with the Alexander Ruler of the World building on Van Ness north of Melrose. It has an ordinary back story--supposedly built by Paramount in 1927 to house actors--but things got interesting in 1992, when the building was bought by Greek immigrant George Pan-Andreas. The actor, who says Ginger Rogers was his godmother, hired artist Danny Doxton in 2007 to paint it red and swirl it up in orange as a tribute to Alexander the Great. Since then, they've added cartouches, Greek-style lettering, Olympic rings, reliefs of Alexander III of Macedon, and depictions of Valentino, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire. According to the LAT, "Most of the architectural flourishes are cut from foam, covered with wire mesh and then spread with polymer cement."

· Alexander Ruler of the World Apartments: The colorful back story of a Hollywood legend [LAT]