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[Maarten]

Since the opening of Hollywood Boulevard at Walt Disney Studios Park, we can finally enjoy a piece of Hollywood in Paris. But ofcourse the Imagineers didn't just design some buildings to respresent Hollywood... they took their inspiration from exsisting buildings and modified them for their themeparks. Werner Weiss, curator of Yesterland.com now runs a serie about the real buildings behind the DHS and DCA facades. And as most of you know, the facades of WDS are copied from DCA. Take a look at "The Hollywood that always was..."

Beverly Court





The inspiration: Chapman Park Market Building at 3451 West 6th Street  

The Chapman Park Market was one of the first West Coast markets designed specifically for customers arriving by automobile. Architect Stiles Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements is responsible for this 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival style complex with extensive Churrigueresque detailing. It now serves Los Angeles' vibrant Koreatown neighborhood.

Deluxe Talent Agency





The inspiration: Baine Building, 6601 Hollywood Boulevard  

In Hollywood, Col. Harry M. Baine, the businessman who originated the Hollywood Christmas Parade, build the Baine Building in 1926. The architecture firm of Gogerty and Weyl designed it in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. Today, its distinctive corner portal at Hollywood Boulevard and Whitley Avenue serves as the entrance to the Station Food Market. Rizza Pizza faces Hollywood Boulevard. The upper floors are offices. It's still a good looking building, but it's not as fancy as the Disney version in Florida.

Unnamed/Off the Page


 


Inspiration: Chapman Market, 3465 West Sixth St., Los Angeles  

Chapman Market was built in 1929. The architect of this Churrigueresque extravaganza was Stiles Clements of the architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements. It was one of the first markets in the western United States designed for customers arriving by car. Chapman Market now serves the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. The Disney version only reproduces one small part of the block-long market. (Note that the this structure is part of the same building as Beverly Court at WDS).

Franklin Department Store
 




Inspiration: Bullocks Wilshire, 3050 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles  

In 1929, John G. Bullock of Bullock's department stores opened the luxurious Bullocks Wilshire store to serve rich and famous Los Angeles shoppers for whom the regular Bullock's were too middle class. Father-and-son architects John and Donald Parkinson designed an art deco masterpiece. For six decades, Bullocks Wilshire maintained an identity separate from the regular Bullock's stores, and even opened several branches in wealthy suburbs. In 1990, the store became part of I. Magnin, but that didn't last long. The store closed permanently in 1993, a victim of changing customer patterns and the 1992 bankruptcy of parent R.H. Macy & Co. In 1994, the Bullocks Wilshire building became part of Southwestern Law School, which restored the building to its 1929 appearance. The building is not open to the general public, except during a once-a-year "Tea and Tour" program.

Source:
//http://www.yesterland.com/replicas.html
//http://www.yesterland.com/replicas2.html

//http://www.yesterland.com/replicas-dca1.html
//http://www.yesterland.com/replicas-dca2.html

[a.newton]

That's really interesting, thank you! I have yet to visit LA, but I understand there a quite a lot of nice buildings there.

I particularly like the "Art Deco" style so really I like the look and feel of the Studios, even the Rendez-Vous des Stars stands out.

[Riebi]

Its wonderful to see the real inspirations of all this!

[Maarten]

Its interesting to note that all facades at WDS are inspired by real buildings which are built in 1926 and 1929, while the Hollywood Tower Hotel was constructed in 1929 according to the legend. Probably coincidence, but still fun to know these kind of details. :wink:

[Riebi]

Haaaa! So we must now say the buildings at the real hollywood bvd. are inspired by our WDS buildings!  :mrgreen:

[Remco K.]

It's interesting to see how close the Hollywood Boulevard buildings resemble the original buildings. It's more than just "inspired by".

[PeterPaan]

Very interesting pictures! thanks for sharing.