Long Beach Landmark: The Pyramid of Long Beach
THE WALTER PYRAMID By Lindsey Goodrow It’s difficult to go anywhere in Long Beach without noticing a tall cobalt structure pointing into the clear blue sky. You can be walking down the sidewalk at the far end of town or flying thousands of miles up in the air—peaking out a tiny airplane window—and see the familiar edifice. Built nearly 30 years ago, the Walter Pyramid (formerly known as the Long Beach Pyramid) remains one of the most notable and noticeable architectural features in Long Beach. Located on California State University of Long Beach’s campus, this magnificent building functions as a sports and entertainment complex, seeing nearly 200,000 visitors pass through its grand entrance annually. Rising eighteen stories above sea level, you can spot the pyramid for miles in all directions. According to its webpage, “It has provided a quantum leap in both the image and effectiveness of the Long Beach State athletics programs, with an immediate impact on fan base, scholarship fundraising, recruiting and revenue generation.” The remarkable blue pyramid is a 30-year landmark and collegiate sports facility that holds the structural integrity of hot-tip galvanized steel. In other words, it’s not anywhere anytime soon. HISTORY Painting by Jamie Tablason The Long Beach Pyramid broke ground on November 30, 1994, when it opened its doors to its first game, with Long Beach men's basketball facing off against the Detroit Titans. The match even aired live on ESPN. Long Beach came out victorious with a final score of 71-64, launching an excellent start for the new sports arena. Although the familiar blue pyramid is now a popular logo used for the university, it was built nearly fifty years after CSULB was founded in 1949. The pyramid has become a symbol of the achievements, future possibilities, and the invaluable role that the university plays in the community. The pyramid was designed by Long Beach architect Don Gibbs, of Gibbs and Gibbs, a father-son architectural firm. The firm has left an enduring mark in Long Beach, including several buildings for the CSULB campus, the VA Hospital, and the Long Beach Civic Center. In 2005, the Long Beach Pyramid was renamed the Walter Pyramid due to the generous donations from Dr. Mike and Arline Walter. This donation, in particular, was the most significant single gift in CSULB Athletics history at the time. FEATURES The Walter Pyramid is impressive for many reasons, starting with the fact that it is considered to be one of the only ‘true’ pyramids that exist in the United States. A true pyramid is one where the four corners of the base ascend into smooth, unbroken lines to the building's tip, unlike step pyramids which are often flat at the top and composed of several stacked steps. Each side of the Walter Pyramid perimeter measures 345 feet, making it a mathematically true pyramid. The Walter Pyramid is also known for being the largest space-frame structure in North America, which is defined as a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space-frame designs are light, durable, and quick to install. Inside, the facility features Cantilevered seating which is mounted on moveable platforms. That’s right, the 81-ton seating platforms can be raised using a hydraulic system to expose over 39,000 square feet of beech hardwood flooring. This leaves much more space for activities. When Gibbs was designing this facility, he took into account a multitude of factors including sustainability, aesthetics, and cost. The result was a blueprint of a pyramid design that required 500 tons of galvanized steel. The interlocking steel struts are intricately bolted to form an impressive true pyramid. If you were to lay out the 18,000 steel tubes that make up the pyramid side-by-side, it would span twenty-six miles (nearly the distance of a full marathon). NOTABLE EVENTS Speaking of marathons, thousands of long-distance runners pass by the Walter Pyramid every year during the Long Beach Marathon. The complex is home to CSULB’s basketball and volleyball teams and a strength and conditioning center. Apart from athletics, the pyramid features a state-of-the-art conference center, the Pointe, which hosts academic lectures, seminars, and banquets. The Walter Pyramid has hosted the World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships, a Japanese Pro-Wrestling show, and the WNBA Playoffs semifinals, to name a few. Even if you haven’t stood up close to the Walter Pyramid or enjoyed a game inside the intricate walls, you can spot the structure on a clear day from miles away. The cobalt blue exterior has forever changed the Long Beach skyline. Special thanks to @csulongbeach for images!
A Cliff May for the Modern Family
With sheer determination and some help from the Whipple Group, a young couple embarked on renovating a Cliff May just in time to host their wedding in the spacious backyard. By Lindsey Goodrow Nestled next to El Dorado Park on the east side of Long Beach is the sprawling 700-home neighborhood of Lakewood Rancho Estates. The quiet, peaceful streets are lined with a canopy of sycamore trees that are as old as the neighborhood itself, which was developed in the 1950s. When Jordan and Scott Richardson were casually browsing Zillow one day (like many of us are guilty of doing) they were shocked to find that a Cliff May in Rancho Estates was for sale. The downside: it was a big fixer-upper. The upside: they had the Whipple Group to guide them through the process. Jumping at the opportunity, they threw caution to the wind and embarked on a home-buying and renovating journey filled with many challenges and even more rewards. CLIFF MAY INVENTED CALIFORNIA LIVING Cliff May, highly regarded as the father of both the California Ranch and Mid-century Modern home, is who we have to thank every time we enjoy a cup of coffee out on the patio of our home. With help from developer Ross Cortese, May designed the Ranchos, a now highly praised and much sought-after neighborhood. The 700-house tract was completed in 1954, offering potential homebuyers a piece of modern living in postwar suburbia. The architectural style fuses the American West with the modern, consisting of single-story houses with an open-concept layout and a devoted patio space. The homes in Rancho Estates are mostly L-shaped with three or four bedrooms. They have gently pitched roofs, exposed beams, clerestory windows, and board and batten siding. So many of the concepts May introduced as a designer and architect inspire the way people live today. For example, “patio” is a Spanish word that means “a courtyard within a building, open to the sky”, and May helped to introduce this concept to the American lexicon with his architectural style. He built houses that spoke to their surroundings through plentiful outdoor spaces, and with rooms that incorporate an abundance of glass doors, windows, and patios, allowing families to enjoy the Southern California sunshine. Jordan and Scott Richardson were shocked when they found a Cliff May for sale in Lakewood Rancho Estates during the height of the pandemic. Trusting their gut and with guidance from the Whipple Group, they lunged at the opportunity to own this quintessential California Ranch home. A REMODEL THAT CLIFF MAY COULD GET BEHIND Jordan and Scott knew they wanted to maintain as many of the original Cliff May features and design elements as possible while also updating it to suit a more modern lifestyle. Since these homes were built in the 40s and 50s, they need a little sprucing up in order to accommodate the modern family. With help from Jordan’s Dad, who is an architect and has a keen eye for design, the Richardson’s approached this project with the intention of honoring Cliff May’s original design while breathing new life into it. “The two main elements we changed to be more functional were the kitchen and the closets. We opened the kitchen to the main living area to make it feel airier and more central to the home. One of the challenges with these homes is the lack of storage so we knew we were going to have to make changes to improve the storage capabilities. We ended up removing all the original closets which was necessary as they were not salvageable but also enabled us to re-think how to more effectively create additional storage space such as a walk-in closet in the primary.” The result is a revived home that honors both the original intentions and designs behind Cliff May’s California Rancho, as well as how the modern family lives and functions today. “We specifically made design and layout decisions based on how we believe these homes should feel and operate for the modern family to make it more relevant today without sacrificing the Cliff May charm.” A FULL-SCALE RENOVATION FULL OF SURPRISES Renovating a home, no matter how much experience you may have, can be full of surprises, both bad and good. After the demolition, which the couple found to be way less intimidating than they initially thought, came the hard part. While Scott was working on the side yard, he unfortunately found that the main water line was poorly reconstructed with PVC piping (AKA plastic) which had to be removed entirely and reinstalled with a proper copper line. This was frustrating and grueling hard work that had to be done. To make up for this setback came a small miracle in terms of renovating a Cliff May; after removing the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that had been glued to an entire wall, Jordan and Scott were astonished to find the original birch wood walls hiding beneath. Had Jordan not been there the day it was unveiled, it would have been destroyed. This wall stretches the length of the enclosed lanai room and is now the breath-taking focal point in the room. The couple learned rather quickly that their dream home renovation was not going to be an easy feat. But upon its completion, they can say that the challenges were all worth it. When reflecting on what area of the renovated home they are most proud of, they point to the kitchen. “Everything we designed in the kitchen was custom to fit the unique challenges of this home, [i.e. the lack of proper storage] so it was a labor of love. The kitchen is truly the heart of the home. We love cooking and hosting so we knew a large island was a must-have. We’re both in the alcohol industry so having a functional bar area for both storage and serving was an important detail that we were able to fit in, despite it being a huge challenge.” All in all, the renovation of the interior took six months to complete and the renovation of the exterior took about 4 months. The landscaping of the exterior yards and front retaining wall was finished exactly one day before the Richardson’s wedding, which they just so happened to host in the backyard. Additionally, the front gate was installed a day before the wedding, much to the relief of the bride and groom-to-be. NEWLYWEDS IN A BRAND NEW CLIFF MAY Jordan and Scott are thrilled with how everything has turned out. With the renovation complete and their wedding going off without a hitch, they can now enjoy the home they’ve built. The great bones of the Cliff May design allow the home to be flooded with light, reminding them to enjoy the fruits of their labor of love. “There’s just something so inspiring and healing about the natural light wherever you walk around the house. Whether it’s the bright light beaming into our bedroom in the morning or the golden hues of light shining in the living room in the pre-evening hours, it’s all a reminder of how much we value the floor-to-ceiling windows in each room. We also love the intention behind these homes to live simplistically and openly amongst the indoors and outdoors, inspired by Cliff May.” Special thanks to @Jordan Youngquistfor providing spectacular before images.
Los Angeles Landmark: Dodger Stadium
DODGER STADIUM THE BALLPARK IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S BACKYARD By Lindsey Goodrow There is nothing as quintessentially American as sitting in the nosebleed seats of a packed baseball stadium, one hand holding a 10 inch hot dog, the other a frothy pint of beer, while you squint at the dots in uniform running around the perfectly-green diamond field. If one has been so lucky as to attend a baseball game in their lifetime, it isn’t difficult to bring to mind the familiar smells, sounds, and even sensations, such as the gum pulling your sneaker to the concrete, keeping you firmly in place in your foldable plastic chair. Despite the stickiness, it’s easy to be happy in a place like this. While there are three Major League baseball stadiums in Southern California alone, there are none as old, grand, or rich in history as Dodger Stadium. THE OLDEST BALLPARK (WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI) Built in 1962, Dodger Stadium is the oldest baseball stadium on the western half of The United States. However, it takes third place overall, behind Wrigley Field in Chicago (built in 1914) and Fenway Park in Boston (built in 1912). In 1958, Walter Francis O'Malley, owner and team president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, brought major league baseball to the West Coast when he moved the Dodgers to Southern California. Although he had been trying to hammer in a deal to create a new ballpark in New York, fate—and money—would have him decide to bring the big leagues to Elysian Park, Los Angeles. New York had become a hotbed of indecision. Without being able to reach an agreement with city officials to build his beautiful baseball dome, Walter set his sights on the more chill and inviting city of Los Angeles. It was this west coast city that had already set aside some land, paid by taxpayers, for a new baseball field. Walter was sold. All they had to do now was use Eminent Domain to remove the neighborhood’s inhabitants and start building. Costing $23 million in taxpayer’s money (equivalent to $206 million today), Dodger’s Stadium broke ground on September 17, 1959. Construction was completed and opening day occurred on April 10, 1962. THE BIGGEST BALLPARK (SO FAR) With a max capacity of 56,000, Dodger Stadium can accommodate more spectators than any other baseball park in the world. This is approximately 10,000 more seats than it’s predecessors, Wrigley Field and Fenway park (who hold 41,160 and 39,928 people, respectively). Throughout the years, Dodger Stadium has seen more than 147 million fans walk through it’s arches. In 2007, the stadium topped 3.85 million spectators, which stands as the all-time franchise record. A LEGENDARY BALLPARK Since it’s inception, Dodger Stadium has seen extraordinary moments, such as thirteen no-hitters, two of which were perfect games. In baseball, a no-hitter is described as a game where the pitcher pitched a ball and did not allow any player from the other team to hit the ball, whereas a perfect game is a match where any enemy player never reaches a base. For context, on September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax retired twenty-seven consecutive batters without allowing any to reach base, becoming one of the few pitchers to throw a perfect game. In 2017, in a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill pitched nine no-hit innings, only to lose his no-hit bid (and the game) on a home-run by Josh Harrison in the 10th inning. This had been a potential perfect game until the homer. Not only do baseball games make history in this stadium, but so do unprecedented events, such as a Mass conducted by Pope John Paul II and concerts by pop and rock legends like The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and U2. There is nothing quite like sitting in the hard plastic chairs of Dodger’s Stadium. As a game proceeds through it’s innings, and day turns into night, you get a perfect view of the city. The stadium is carved into the hillside of Chavez Ravine, overlooking downtown to the south and the San Gabriel mountains to the north. For a moment, all that matters is that hot dog, the cold beer, and the sound of applause as a bat collides with a baseball rocketing through the air.
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