750 W. 7th St. Los Angeles, CA 90017 | map |
Drafthouse is an Austin based company, founded in 1997 by Tim League. As the name implies, they serve food and drinks in their theatres and have a reputation for quirky programming. The company also has a film distribution division.
Seating: 569 in 12 auditoria. They're motorized recliners with tables attached. Seating capacities in each house range from 40 to 63. The lobby, with bar and video store, is on the 2nd floor with the auditoria up on 3 in the west side of the Bloc complex. One house is 35mm equipped.
Website: drafthouse.com/los-angeles | www.facebook.com/DrafthouseLA
Architect: Richard Weiss, who has done lots of work for Alamo. See "Architect Breaks Down 120 Years of Movie Theatre Design," his 12 minute video on YouTube for Architectural Digest. Thanks to Chris Nichols for spotting it. But note that the Brooklyn Theatre Richard identifies as being in Los Angeles is actually some other theatre.
Wayne Ratkovich and his partners scored Alamo as a tenant for their Bloc
complex back in 2014. He had purchased the aging fortress-like Macy's
Plaza in 2012 and embarked on a $250 million renovation to take the roof
off the mall, open the complex up to the surrounding streets, and
reinvent the tenant mix. The Sheraton Hotel that's part of the project
also got an upgrade.
Ryan Faughnder's June 2019 L.A. Times story "Alamo Drafthouse to open..." discussed the opening as well as offered some comments about why the project took so long. Mark Olson's July 2019 L.A. Times story "Will the Alamo Drafthouse L.A. be the last stand for movie theaters?" discussed the risks involved in the venture. "Downtown Alamo Drafthouse Opens Friday" was a July 18, 2019 story from Nicholas Slayton of L.A. Downtown News.
A view in from the rollup door on the east side. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The bar area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A look back out through the rollup. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
All the theatres are up on the 3rd floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The 3rd floor landing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A display area on 3. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The corridor to the auditoria. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A peek into the restroom area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
Auditorium #4. Capacity 49, screen width 23'. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The rear of auditorium #4. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
Auditorium #8. This one is equipped for 35mm. It's a 24' screen. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The rear of auditorium #8. It's the big house: 63 seats. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A peek up at the booth in #8. Simplex XLs flanking the digital unit. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
Auditorium #12, capacity 41. The projector is in a box on the back wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
Heading back down to the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A few construction views:
A courtyard photo appearing on the Alamo website with the August 16, 2018 story by Megan Reardon "LA...we finally have a construction update for you."
New escalators in the 2nd floor lobby heading up to the 3rd floor where the theatres will be. It's a photo from the Alamo website's August 2018 story.
3rd floor auditorium spaces in August 2018 as the build out was beginning. Thanks to Alamo for the photo from their website.
Progress in the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - March 2019
A look across to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Photo: Bill Counter - March 2019
Renderings of the project:
A rendering from Studio One Eleven of the street level entrance on Flower that appeared with "Alamo Drafthouse to open in 2018," Nicholas Slayton's June 2017 story for L.A. Downtown News. Note the escalators on the right heading up to the lobby.
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