Long Beach Architecture Week Explores History
The Lafayette at 140 Linden Ave., was built in 1929 featuring Art Deco style architecture. But you probably already knew that.
But what you probably didn’t know was…
• It was originally built as a hotel and was owned by the Hilton family (yes, those Hiltons).
• The hotel became the first condo conversion on the West Coast in 1972.
• The Inn of Long Beach was part of the Lafayette Hotel and was used to house the Miss Universe Pageant contestants when it took place here from 1954-1958.
The hotel was the starting point last week as organizers and collaborators announced the first Long Beach Architecture Week (LBAW) to take place May 31 to June 9 at various venues in downtown Long Beach.
Sal Flores, along with Brian Trimble and Dan O’Brien, are the co-organizers of the event. Flore, founder and publisher of the Long Beach Home + Living magazine, had been thinking about doing an issue on the architecture of Long Beach. But beyond the magazine, the trio discussed how the city was changing — from an architectural perspective.
