Culver Studios
Owner Hackman Capital Partners Architect Gensler Preservation Architect Kaplan Chan Kaplan General Contractor Taslimi Restoration Contractor Spectra Company Structural Engineer John Labib & Associates Historic Consultant ESA
Culver Studios is a movie studio lot originally created by silent movie pioneer Thomas H. Ince in 1918. The first structure to go up on the lot was the Ince Mansion, which is a colonial revival style building that was modeled after George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. A theater, multiple bungalows, sound stages and a backlot for outdoor sets were added to the property. Notable studios and movies/television studios connected to this site included Cecille B. DeMille, RKO-Pathe Studios (King Kong), Selznick International Pictures (Gone with the Wind), Desilu Studios (I Love Lucy) and Sony Pictures. Other notable movies and television shows filmed here include A Star is Born, Andy Griffith Show, Batman, E.T. and a Few Good Men to name just a few. Historic bungalows on the lot served as offices and residential quarters for Alfred Hitchcock, Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, and where Orson Welles wrote Citizen Kane. The studios underwent rehabilitation and a modernization plan, and Culver Studios is now home to Amazon Studios. Spectra Company rehabilitated the main mansion, including a major structural retrofit that was carefully concealed to maintain character-defining features. In addition, four of the historic bungalows were relocated and rehabilitated, along with several more historic buildings. The project was fast-tracked and Spectra was able to meet the opening target, completing the seismic retrofit within a short, several month timeline.
Scope of Work
Architectural Woodwork • Artifact Restoration & Cataloging • Building Relocation • Structural Retrofit • Wood Doors • Wood Windows
