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Sometimes, in order to ensure what's old--or structurally and historically significant--gets to be new again, some serious preservation work has to be accomplished. And each year, to salute such efforts, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the champions of preservation, champion a handful of local projects upon which they bestow their Preservation Awards.
Today the Conservancy has released a list of the 31st annual Preservation Awards winners, and provided a brief description of each project:
PRESIDENT’S AWARD (bestowed by the president of the Conservancy's board of directors for special achievement) Fiftieth Anniversary of the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Ordinance and Commission In 1962, the City of Los Angeles became one of the first large cities in the nation to adopt an ordinance protecting historic resources. Celebrating its fiftieth year, the ordinance created what is now the Cultural Heritage Commission and launched a preservation program that has designated—and helped to preserve—more than a thousand historic landmarks.
PROJECT AWARDS
36th Street Apartments, South Los Angeles
A community-based, herculean effort transformed a nineteenth-century residence in South Los Angeles into a safe and inspiring home for youth transitioning out of foster care—and used the project itself as hands-on training and work experience for local youth.
Catalina Casino, Avalon
The private owner of a public icon made a firm commitment to the landmark’s preservation by commissioning its first full-scale exterior restoration, repairing and conserving the building's unique historic features.
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Tower, Los Angeles
After a decade of lingering damage from the Northridge earthquake, the dominant feature of a landmark church was repaired and strengthened, and its long-removed, signature pinnacles replaced.
Lincoln Park Gateway, Lincoln Heights
Built during the Great Depression to create work for the unemployed, this beloved community landmark was rehabilitated during the Great Recession as a testament to civic pride and stewardship.
Linde + Robinson Laboratory at Caltech, Pasadena
An exceptionally creative and sensitive approach transformed a historic astrophysics laboratory into a highly advanced and sustainable scientific facility—the first-ever LEED Platinum renovation of a historic lab building.
Village Green Historic Structures Report, Baldwin Hills
The dedication of homeowners yielded a clear roadmap for preserving one of the nation’s great cultural treasures, paving the way for financial benefits for residents and providing a model for L.A.’s historic garden apartment communities.
