Hall of Justice
Owner
County of Los Angeles
Original Architect
Allied Architects Association
Architect
AC Martin Partners, Inc.
Structural Engineer
Englekirk & Sabol
General Contractor
Clark Construction
Restoration Contractor
Spectra Company
Standing proudly as a classic Beaux Arts and Italianate architectural gem, the Hall of Justice was built in 1925 by Allied Architects Association. The building housed the Los Angeles County Jail, Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney, and other judicial departments. Interestingly, the coroner had performed autopsies on Senator Robert Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe at this site, and the jail housed famous personalities such as “Bugsy” Siegel, Robert Mitchum, Sirhan Sirhan and Charles Manson – who would become well-known after his arrest.
Los Angeles’ Hall of Justice was the center of the city’s judicial system until it was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. At 14 stories tall and 550,000 square feet, the Hall of Justice presented a stunning interior with an ornate barrel-vaulted entry foyer, gold-marble walls, and large iconic columns supporting the exquisitely gilded ceiling. In 2015, the building was finally able to re-open after an extensive restoration.
Spectra was hired by the design team to perform a full restoration of the historic interior elevator cab, mural restoration, ornamental copper roofing restoration, and restoration of the infamous Charles Manson jail cell.
Scope of Work
Architectural Woodwork • Decorative Metal • Restoration Painting & Coatings • Waterproofing/Roofing
Awards
Preservation Design Award 2015
