Hollywood Palladium Restoration

Hollywood, California

The Palladium nightclub, located on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard was designed by noted architect Gordon B. Kaufmann and constructed in 1940. In 1963 the Palladium was radically altered and all of the character-defining elements of the building were destroyed including the main entry marquee, storefront facades and ticket booths. In addition, all exterior lighting was removed and the front façade was covered-over with aluminum panels and the original polychromatic paint scheme was painted over in gray paint. In 2008 an extensive exterior renovation was undertaken to restore the building to its original appearance in 1940. The Sunset Boulevard entry marquee, neon pylon sign tower, facade “grid”, “dancing” male and female façade figures and the west entry marquee were all completely reconstructed and replicated to match the lost original elements.

The Palladium is constructed of board-formed concrete and painted green, blue and cream. The Sunset façade is comprised of a band of storefronts on both sides of a main entry and, as the focal point in the center of the facade, a curved horizontal sign marquee and tall vertical pylon blade sign tower. The sign features large neon letters in a streamlined font that vertically spell out the Palladium name and is animated.  A large billboard-like grid structure outlined in neon serves as the backdrop for the pylon blade sign and to screen a light well behind it. To the left and the right of this grid are two silhouettes of “dancing” figures, a man and a woman, mounted to the upper walls and outlined in neon. Blue spandrel glass cladding surrounds poster cases on each side of the main entry and is etched with a “diamond” pattern. The blue glass also clads three reconstructed ticket booths. There is an entrance from the parking on the west side of the building which is covered by a sinuous concrete canopy topped with a curving marquee sign and highlighted with neon.

News
NBC: Hollywood Palladium: Landmark Status Granted
CURBED: 11 historic photos of the Hollywood Palladium as it moves toward becoming a city landmark