Richfield Tower

Richfield Tower
From cover of The Richfield Building 1928-1968 by David Gebhard (1970), published after the building's demolition.
General information
Architectural style	Art Deco
Town or city	Los Angeles, California
Country	United States of America
Construction started	1928
Completed	1929
Demolished	November 12, 1968 - spring 1969
Client	Richfield Oil Co.
Technical details
Structural system	steel skeleton
Design and construction
Architect	Stiles O. Clements

Coordinates: 34°03′03″N 118°15′25″W / 34.050799°N 118.256966°W / 34.050799; -118.256966

Richfield Tower, also known as the Richfield Oil Company Building, was constructed between 1928 and 1929 and served as the headquarters of Richfield Oil. It was designed by Stiles O. Clements and featured a black and gold Art Deco façade. The unusual color scheme was meant to symbolize the "black gold" that was Richfield's business. Haig Patigian did the exterior sculptures. The building was covered with architectural terra cotta manufactured by Gladding, McBean along with many west coast buildings from this era. In an unusual move, all four sides were covered since they were all visible in the downtown location.

The 12-floor building was 372 feet (113 m) tall, including a 130-foot (40 m) tower atop the building, emblazoned vertically with the name "Richfield". Lighting on the tower was made to simulate an oilwell gusher and the motif was reused at some Richfield service stations.

The company quickly outgrew the building, and it was demolished in 1969, much to the dismay of Los Angeles residents and those interested in architectural preservation, to make way for the present ARCO Plaza skyscraper complex. The elaborate black-and-gold elevator doors were salvaged from the building and now reside in the lobby of the new ARCO building (now City National Tower).