Bryson Apartment Hotel
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Bryson Apartment Hotel
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Bryson Apartment Hotel, Spring 2008
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| Location | 2701 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°3′40″N 118°16′53″W / 34.06111°N 118.28139°WCoordinates: 34°3′40″N 118°16′53″W / 34.06111°N 118.28139°W |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Frederick Noonan & Charles H. Kysor |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Beaux Arts, Other |
| NRHP Reference # | 83001184 |
| LAHCM # | 653 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 7, 1983 |
| Designated LAHCM | 1998-09-18 |
The Bryson Apartment Hotel is a historic 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2), ten-story apartment building on Wilshire Boulevard in the MacArthur Park section of Los Angeles, California. Built in 1913 in the Beaux Arts style, it was one of the most luxurious residential buildings in Los Angeles for many years. The building is also closely associated with the city's film noir history, having been featured in Raymond Chandler's works and the 1990 neo-noir The Grifters. The building's stone lions and large rooftop "Bryson" sign have become Los Angeles landmarks. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and designated a Historic Cultural Monument (#653) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1998.
The Bryson was built in 1913 by real estate developer, Hugh W. Bryson, along a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard that was considered to be the "West Side" and which was then principally a residential area. Bryson acquired the property in 1911, purchasing and razing four houses that occupied the space. He had originally intended to construct a six-story building flush with the sidewalks along Wilshire Boulevard and Rampart Street. When neighbors complained about his plans, Bryson chose instead to build a taller structure, but one set back 100 feet (30 m) from the center Wilshire Boulevard and Rampart Street. In March 1912, Bryson announced his revised plans: "It is my intention to make this apartment house in a class by itself on this coast and finer than any other west of New York City. To that end, I shall spare no expense."
Bryson hired architects Frederick Noonan and Charles H. Kysor to design the building. The construction was undertaken by Bryson's own company, F.C. Engstrum & Co. and completed in only seven months between June and December 1912. The total cost, including land, construction, and furniture, was approximately $750,000.
The building combines Beaux Arts and Classical styles. The structure was built around a central court 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 50 feet (15 m) deep. At the time of its opening, it had 320 rooms divided into 96 apartments, with a configuration allowing apartments to be connected to form suites with as many as 12 rooms. All four sides of the building "presented a finished appearance", each being "handsomely ornamented with vari-colored tiles and concrete moulding." The interior was finished with cut-glass chandeliers, Italian marble stairs and wainscotting, tile floors, and richly upholstered mahogany furniture. The tenth floor was dedicated to common use, with a ballroom, library, billiard-room and three enclosed loggias. Bryson reportedly spent $60,000 just for rugs, fine art, rare plants and furnishings for the top floor. Being located at an elevation, and being the only high-rise in the area, the building's top floors offered panoramic views. A 1920s brochure for The Bryson touted the view:
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