The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living. Vacant since the 1990s, the building needed new electrical, mechanical, plumbing, telephone, data, television, and security systems, plus a new structural system for seismic support. During renovations, workers discovered floors made with rare Batchelder tile from the early 1900s, adding another historic dimension to the building.
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