Los Angeles Theatres: Belasco Theatre: lobbies - lounges

A main floor lobby plan. Also see the full 1st floor plan. A set of drawings for the building is in the Morgan, Walls & Clements Archive at the Huntington Library. This is from their drawing #6780.

On the Huntington's site you can start at drawing #6755 and page forward through the full set of 65 sheets which include structural, electrical, HVAC and sprinkler drawings. The set ends with drawing #6819. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating these. Visit the Index to the MW&C Drawings that Mike has been compiling for his Historic Theatre Photography site. There's also a 22 page index by Mike Callahan on Internet Archive.

Furniture and tile work on the house right wall of the outer lobby. The entrance doors are just out of the frame to the right. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415656 - 1926

Looking west toward the entrance doors. The image is from drawing #6796 on the Huntington Library site. You can click on the image from for a larger view, or follow the links to the Huntington's site for jumbo versions.

The inner lobby in 1926. Around the corner to the left are the house left stairs to the balcony. The stairs we see going down head to the men's lounge. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415584. This was one of four photos of the theatre in the August 1927 issue of Architectural Record. A version of the photo is also in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

A closer look at the east wall of the lobby. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415656 - 1926. The photo is also in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

An elevation of the house right half of the east wall, between the lobby and the seating area. This is from drawing #6796 on the Huntington Library site. You can click on these images from the drawings for a larger view or follow the links to the Huntington site for jumbo versions.

The house right stairs to the balcony. The stairs down to the ladies lounge are out of the frame to the left. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415584 - 1926

An elevation of the house right end of the lobby, from drawing #6796 on the Huntington Library site. The wall on the right is in the outer lobby area with the entrance doors on the far right.

Another house right detail from the same sheet. Here it's the inner lobby with a closer look at the drinking fountain and, on the left, the stairs to the basement ladies lounge.

The area above the fountain in the previous image where it says "texture plaster" ended up as a supply air grille. This is from drawing #6816.

The house right half of the west wall of the inner lobby. On the right we're looking back out to the outer lobby area, the ticket lobby, and Hill St. It's another image from drawing #6796.

During renovations - 2008 to 2010:

Plasterwork above the doors out to the ticket lobby. Thanks to Jeff Bridges for sharing this 2008 photo on Flickr. Visit his 33 photo Belasco Theatre set for many fine views.

A 2008 construction view of tile work near the ticket lobby doors. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr

One of the walls in the outer part of the main lobby. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr - 2008

Ornament on a beam crossing the main lobby. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr - 2008

Along the east wall toward house left. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr - 2008

Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for this tantalizing 2008 glimpse into the auditorium. It's on Flickr. For more photos you can start at his first Belasco shot and page through about a dozen more. If you have a day you can spare, work your way through the over 500 great photos in his Los Angeles Theatres set.

Plasterwork on the east wall. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr - 2008

Checking out the new sprinkler system as we look toward the house left end of the lobby in 2008. Stairs to the balcony are in the lower left. Photo: Jeff Bridges - Flickr

Looking out toward the ticket lobby near the end of construction. Thanks to Don Solosan for his 2010 photo taken for the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. The renovated theatre reopened in March 2011.

The LAHTF is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of the buildings. www.lahtf.org | group Facebook page | official FB page

The lobby after renovations:

Ready to reopen in 2011. Thanks to Elizabeth Daniels for her photo of the doors out to the ticket lobby. It's one of 13 photos by Ms. Daniels that once appeared with "After 26 Years Downtown's Belasco Theater Reopening," Dakota Smith's March 2011 Curbed L.A. article about the theatre's rebirth. The photos have vanished from the version of the article now online.

Looking down the inner lobby toward house left. Thanks to Sven Kirsten for the 2011 photo appearing in an album he posted on the LAHTF Facebook page.

An east wall detail. Thanks to Albert Domasin for his 2011 photo, one from his "LAHTF Tour of the Belasco" set of 44 fine views on Flickr.

Malibu tile baseboards. Photo: Steve Shriver - Flickr - 2011. It's one that's included in his fine 75 photo "Belasco Theater and downtown walkabout" album.

A look at the ceiling near the wall along the back of the auditorium. Thanks to Steve Shriver for his 2011 photo on Flickr.

The house left end of the lobby and the stairs down to the men's lounge. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed L.A. - 2011

Looking toward house right in 2011. Photo: Albert Domasin - Flickr

The new Live Nation look with bare floors. On the right are the doors to the ticket lobby. The door at the center goes to the bar area in what used to be a storefront south of the theatre's entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

Looking along the east wall toward the house right auditorium entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

An east wall detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The house right end of the lobby. Your choice: balcony or ladies lounge. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The niche at the house right stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The view out from the house right end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The east wall, along the back of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

Cherubs on the east wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The house left end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The basement lounges:

A detail from the basement plan in the Huntington Library collection. Also see the full basement plan. On the Huntington site that one is drawing #6781.

On the left, in the north side of the basement under the inner lobby, it's an usher's room, the men's lounge and the men's toilet area. The ladies toilet room, lounge and usherette's room are on the right. That's part of the boiler room in the lower right.

Wall elevations for the ladies lounge from drawing #6795 on the Huntington site. As the drawing notes, the men's lounge got a similar treatment. You can, of course, click on this for a larger view. See drawing #6785 for a more detailed plan of the toilet rooms as well as wall elevations.

The men's lounge:

The house left stairs: up to the balcony or down to the basement men's room. There's no crossover between the men's and ladies areas at basement level -- unless you go through the club area that's in the former plenum chamber. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

A look down the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The now-unfurnished men's smoking room. On the left that's a door to the former plenum space, a club area that Live Nation is calling "The Chamber." Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The men's toilet and sink area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

Looking north in the lounge with the door to the plenum on the right. That's the usher's room behind the door near the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The stairs back up to the house left end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The ladies lounge:

Looking to house right and the stairs to the basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The stairs down. What they're calling "The Chamber" is the club space in the former air handling plenum. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The ladies lounge, no longer a space for much lounging. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The door on the right goes to the plenum under the auditorium, now used as a separate events space. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

A decommissioned lounge drinking fountain. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The toilet and sink area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The door on the west wall near the stairs leads to the boiler room and main electrical service. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The mezzanine level lobby:

A 1926 look toward house right in the balcony level lobby. The arches on the right were later opened up. That's the door to the "auditor's office" on the far right. At the far end the stairs down to the main lobby are at the left. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415656

The mezzanine lobby / art gallery and office spaces as seen on the 1926 plans from the Huntington Library. Note that area to the right of the upper part of the ticket lobby. There was a ladder down to the boxoffice. See the full mezzanine level plan. On the Huntington's site this is drawing #6779.

Elevations and a half plan of the mezzanine spaces from drawing #6798 on the Huntington Library site. Also see a plan and elevations for the "private office" on drawing #6799.

A management office in 1926. Note the windows behind the grillework that look out to the ticket lobby. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library photo set # 001415584

Looking up to the house right mezzanine landing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The ceiling treatment on the house right stairs. Photo: Steve Shriver - Flickr - 2011. Thanks, Steve!

The house right mezzanine level landing in 2007. Thanks to Dave Bullock for sharing his photo. Check out his terrific set of nineteen photos appearing on the Belasco Theatre page of his site eecue.com.

There are now doors on the mezzanine landings so this area can be closed off. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

If you don't go into the mezzanine lobby you can continue on up to the balcony. These stairs end up on the house right side of the seating area. There's no lobby at the balcony level, unless you count the wide crossaisle behind the last row of seats. That blue glow on the wall is coming down from the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The balcony lobby all cleaned up for the 2011 reopening. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed L.A.

A 2007 detail of a sconce and the ceiling's "strange paisley designs." Photo: Dave Bullock - eecue

Another ceiling detail. Photo: Steve Shriver - Flickr - 2011

A section of one of the tiled benches. Photo: Steve Shriver - Flickr - 2011

Part of the mezzanine lobby space set up with seating after the west wall arches had been opened up. This area connects with the upper level of the bar space in the south storefront. We're looking toward house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017

Another view of the lounge, here looking toward house left. The ballroom is above this area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A look up to the entrance into the balcony from the house left landing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

On the way down to the main floor, a look back up at the doors on the house left landing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The house left stairs to the main floor. Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2017 photo. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for hundreds of fine photos of the theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page about the Belasco.

The Ballroom:

The stairs up to the ballroom from the south end of the facade. The 4,000 sq. ft. space was originally operated as a "dancing academy," separate from the theatre business. After the 2010-11 renovations it was called the Belasco Ballroom. Live Nation has taken to calling it "The Sanctuary." Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

A pre-renovation view. Note the glass pattern left over from the church era. Photo: Dave Bullock - eecue - 2007

A trim detail. Photo: Dave Bullock - eecue - 2007

Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for this 2008 photo, part of his Los Angeles Theatres set on Flickr.

The bar view toward the west wall. Thanks to Albert Domasin for sharing his 2011 photo on Flickr.

Looking back toward the south end of the space. The exit to the stairs is to the left of the bar, restrooms are to the right. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed L.A. - 2011. Thanks, Elizabeth!

A late afternoon look toward Hill St. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for sharing his 2014 photo on the LAHTF Facebook page.

Time for a drink. Photo: Mike Hume - Historic Theatre Photography - 2017

A view toward the stage in 2017. Photo: Mike Hume - Historic Theatre Photography

A stage view used on an Eventbrite page to advertise a 2023 event by the South Park Neighborhood Association. Note the new light fixtures and furniture following a bit of redecoration by Live Nation.

A look across the bar at the February 2023 SPNA event. Photo: Bill Counter

The south end of the space in 2023. Photo: Bill Counter

Looking into the ballroom from the top of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The south storefront:

Upstairs in this two level space that at the time of the photo was a wine bar and lounge called Vintage 10-Fifty. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed L.A. - 2011

A view on the the main floor. Thanks to the previous Belasco management for the 2017 photo. It's one that had appearing on a Vintage 10-Fifty page of their website.

A bar view with Hill St. off to the right. Photo: Belasco Theatre - 2017

Los Angeles Theatres

Belasco Theatre: lobbies - lounges - ballroom

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