Bradbury Building

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Lore & Background

The Bradbury Building was commissioned by Los Angeles gold-mining millionaire Lewis L. Bradbury and constructed by architect George Wyman from the original design by Sumner Hunt. It opened in 1893, some months after Bradbury's death in 1892, and was completed in 1894 at a total cost of $500,000. The building's interior is its most notable part: a five-story central court featuring glazed and unglazed yellow and pink bricks, ornamental cast iron, tiling, Italian marble, Mexican tile, decorative terracotta and polished wood, capped by a skylight that allows the court to be flooded with natural rather than artificial light. Open 'bird-cage' elevators surrounded by wrought-iron grillwork go up to the fifth floor. The wrought-iron was created in France and displayed at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair before being installed in the building. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, one of only four office buildings in Los Angeles to be so honored. It was also designated a landmark by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission and is the city's oldest landmarked building.

In Their Own Story

The Bradbury Building appears in *Blade Runner* as the setting for J. F. Sebastian's apartment and the climactic rooftop scene. The building's five-story atrium, with its wrought-iron railings and natural light from the skylight, provides a visually striking contrast to the dark, rain-soaked streets of 2019 Los Angeles. The intricate ironwork and geometric staircases create a labyrinthine environment that underscores the film's themes of memory and identity. The building's narrow entrance lobby, with its low ceiling and minimal light, 'has the look of a Parisian alley of arched windows,' and opens into a bright naturally lit great 'awe-inspiring cathedral-like' center court. The overall effect, according to a *Los Angeles Times* writer, is 'a mesmerizing degree of symmetry and visual complexity.'

Reader's Guide

The Bradbury Building is located at Broadway and Third Street in downtown Los Angeles, close to the Bunker Hill neighborhood. It is a popular tourist attraction, open daily and staffed by a government worker who provides historical background. Casual visitors are only permitted up to the first landing. Brochures and tours are also available. It is close to three other downtown Los Angeles landmarks: the Grand Central Market, the Million Dollar Theater (across the street) and Angels Flight (two blocks away). Access is via the Los Angeles Metro Rail B and D lines at Civic Center/Grand Park station, three blocks distant. The building has operated as an office building for most of its history and since 1996 has served as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department's Internal Affairs division and other government agencies.

Did You Know?

• The building was built in 1893 at a total cost of $500,000, about three times the original budget of $175,000.
• The wrought-iron in the building was created in France and displayed at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair before being installed.
• The building is the oldest landmarked building in Los Angeles, designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.
• Since 1996, the building has served as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department's Internal Affairs division, where it is nicknamed 'the Ovens' by officers.
• The building's lighting system was redesigned in the early 1990s, bringing in alabaster wall sconces from Spain.