Architectural historians, preservation advocates, and fans of Los Angeles's vintage architectural gems spoke out in support of the endangered Googie-style Norms Restaurant on La Cienega at a Cultural Heritage Commission meeting today, and the commission ultimately voted to consider Norms for the status, says CBS LA; that means that the building is safe from being razed for 75 days. Just yesterday, it seemed like there was a target on its fanciful exterior. The owners pulled a demolition permit for the 1957 building earlier this month.
The classic diner's future came into question yesterday when it was discovered that a permit had been approved for demolition. But LA Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne attended the commission meeting today and, via his Twitter account, relayed that an attorney for the owners says they do not have any immediate plans to demolish the building, and that they simply pulled the permit in case redevelopment becomes an option down the road, which sounds pretty far-fetched. The City Council will have the final say on landmark status for the 24-hour diner—one of a waning number of Googie buildings left in LA. When a building is named a Historic-Cultural Monument, it usually means that the exterior is safe from alteration, so landmarking would at least protect the familiar Jet Age facade, designed by Armet & Davis.
· Cultural Commission Agrees To Nominate Norms For Historical Status [CBSLA]
· Demo Permit Issued For Flagship Norms Diner on La Cienega [Curbed LA]
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