Tour Under City Hall

Tour Under City Hall – Limited Capacity Event

If you will be attending our 2019 AIA|LA Legislative Day, you will have the exclusive opportunity to climb down into this space with LA City and AC Martin. There will be two tours, 11AM & 11:30AM, of 15 people (30 spots total).

Completed in 1928, Los Angeles City Hall, a joint venture of Albert C. Martin, John Parkinson, and John Austin, was the city’s tallest building for more than 30 years. The iconic building features a 452′ high central tower rising from a two-story base, flanked by wings to the north and south.

By the 21st century, hundreds of earthquakes had shaken the building. While the building’s foundation, footings, granite base, and structural steel remained strong and intact, the un-reinforced masonry walls had suffered over time, necessitating a seismic retrofit.

In 1998, City Hall was closed for its complete seismic rehabilitation, which included a complete seismic retrofitting of the building and a cleaning of the building’s exterior, the first since it was completed in 1928. At 454 feet, the Los Angeles City Hall is now the tallest base-isolated structure in the world. Its seismic upgrade allows City Hall to move laterally up to 21 inches and to withstand a magnitude 8.1 earthquake.

A four-foot-wide underground moat, hidden from view, surrounds the perimeter of the building to allow for movement during seismic events. Once completed, the renovation was nearly invisible, allowing the historic building to retain its identity and splendor.

*Note: Attendees agree to signing a liability waiver.  Please be aware: tour area is very dusty.  This is not your average tour, attendees should plan on wearing closed toe shoes, no heels, and know that you will have to climb down a ladder to access the site (dresses/skirts unadvised).*