Architecture Tours L.A. Guidebook

Here is THE way to see Los Angeles’s rich architectural heritage! L.A. is a ＂driving＂ city, best seen from the car. Tour guide, author, and architectural historian Laura Massino Smith directs you on an unforgettable ride to uncover the city’s exciting cultural past. You can efficiently visit dozens of L.A.’s architectural marvels in a short amount of time. Maps and explicit driving directions help you navigate roads, while detailed descriptions of tour sites provide each building’s history, and 66 color photographs are included to help you identify more than 60 sites. Welcome to Beverly Hills and West Hollywood! More than lavish homes and playgrounds for celebrities and millionaires, these cities boast a rich tapestry of diverse and exciting architecture. Tour these cities’ vibrant histories as you drive down Santa Monica Blvd., Rodeo Drive, and the Sunset Strip. Here you’ll find the Argyle Hotel, L.A.’s best-known example of Art Deco architecture; the Beverly Hills Hotel, built in the Spanish Mission style; the jet-age Union 76 gas station; southern California’s only Art Nouveau building; examples of English Tudor, French Provincial, Storybook, Streamline Moderne, and Islamic-inspired architecture; as well as buildings designed by architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry. History buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and L.A. visitors all will love these unique and fascinating tours, which offer the best way to see diverse architecture in L.A.

As an undergraduate studying design in New York City, Laura Massino Smith found her coursework in historic preservation and art history compelling, and went on to earn a master’s degree in Architectural History. She now shares her specialized knowledge and passion through driving tours of the Los Angeles area. Massino Smith is a member of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.