Chain Reaction | Santa Monica Conservancy

19. Chain Reaction

20. Civic Auditorium

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, located at 1855 Main Street, stands as one of the most significant monuments to Mid-Century Modern architecture and post-war civic optimism in Southern California. Completed in 1958, the building was designed by the world-renowned firm Welton Becket & Associates, the same architects responsible for the Capitol Records Building and the Music Center in Los Angeles, as well as the Santa Monica Lifeguard Station. The auditorium is a primary example of Midcentury Modernism characterized by its clean geometric lines, glass-walled lobby, geometric brise-soleil screen, and its signature “floating” concrete canopy that projects over the entrance. The canopy edge is linked to vertically swooping pylons, an affirmation of aerial and space-age flight.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1958. Photo: Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles.

The building’s technological innovations, specifically its unique hydraulic floor, was an engineering marvel that allowed the main auditorium floor to be tilted for theatrical performances or leveled for conventions, dances, and sports events. The Civic Auditorium became a global cultural focal point, most famously serving as the home of the Academy Awards from 1961 to 1968. It was here that legendary figures like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn accepted their Oscars, and where the first color broadcast of the ceremony took place in 1966.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1958. Photo: Julius Shulman for Welton Becket and Associates, J. Paul Getty Trust, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles.

Beyond the Oscars, the auditorium played a pivotal role in music history. It was the site of the legendary 1964 Teen Awards Music International (T.A.M.I.) Show, a format-defining concert film that featured a groundbreaking lineup including James Brown, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys. The venue subsequently hosted a wide range of iconic acts, from Bob Dylan and The Doors to early punk and new wave bands in the late 1970s. Invited by Black activist groups in Santa Monica in 1961, the Reverend Martin Luther King was the keynote speaker at a civil rights rally and news conference at the Civic Auditorium. The building was not just an entertainment venue, but a symbol of Santa Monica’s emergence as a sophisticated modern city capable of hosting world-class events.

40th Annual Academy Awards, April 10, 1968, postponed from April 4 due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Despite its glorious past, the Civic Auditorium faces an uncertain future in the 21st century. It was closed to the public in 2013 due to seismic safety concerns and the high cost of renovation following the dissolution of California’s redevelopment agencies. However, its designation as a Santa Monica City Landmark in 2002 and its inclusion on the National Register in 2023 have protected it from demolition. Today, it remains a “sleeping giant” in the Civic Center, with ongoing community efforts focused on its rehabilitation and the potential return of its status as a premier performing arts destination.

Interior Civic Auditorium, 1958, Julius Shulman photography archive, 1936-1997.

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Chain Reaction

Standing as a towering and provocative landmark, Chain Reaction is a 26-foot-tall public sculpture located on Main Street in the Santa Monica Civic Center. Installed in 1991, the piece was created by the legendary three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad. The sculpture, which depicts a massive nuclear mushroom cloud, was intended as a permanent visual protest against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and a stark warning about the potential end of humanity.

Chain Reaction, Paul Conrad, 1991. Photo: William Short

The artwork’s design is deeply symbolic and technically unique. Conrad constructed the piece using five tons of copper anchor chain purchased from a Navy surplus yard, wrapped around a fiberglass and stainless-steel inner frame. The texture of the linked chains provides a dual meaning: it evokes the billowing, organic shape of a mushroom cloud while simultaneously representing the interconnected “chain reaction” of nuclear fission. For Conrad, who was known for his sharp political commentary at the Los Angeles Times, the sculpture was his first and most significant foray into three-dimensional art. He chose Santa Monica as the site for the piece because of the city’s reputation as a “Nuclear Free Zone,” a designation it officially adopted in 1988.

Chain Reaction, Paul Conrad, 1991. Photo: William Short

In 2011, the city’s public art department expressed concerns regarding Chain Reaction’s structural integrity, as the copper chains had begun to pull away from the internal frame, due to oxidation and weight. The City Council initially considered dismantling the piece, sparking a passionate grassroots movement led by peace activist Jerry Rubin along with other residents to save it. The sculpture was officially designated as a Santa Monica City Landmark in 2012, recognizing its cultural and historical importance to the community.

Chain Reaction, Paul Conrad, 1991. Photo: William Short

Following a successful fundraising campaign that raised over $100,000, which was complemented by city funds, the sculpture underwent a comprehensive restoration. In 2018, the piece was unveiled with a reinforced internal skeleton and stabilized copper exterior, ensuring that Conrad’s message of peace remains a permanent fixture of the Santa Monica landscape. Today, it stands not just as a monument to the Cold War era, but as a testament to the power of community-led historic preservation.

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18. City Hall

City Hall & Murals

Santa Monica City Hall, located at 1685 Main Street, is a monumental example of the Public Works Administration (PWA) Moderne style and serves as a testament to the city’s growth and civic pride during the Great Depression. Completed in 1939, the building was designed by prominent architectural duo Donald Parkinson and Joseph M. Estep. Parkinson was well-known for his work on Los Angeles landmarks like Union Station and Los Angeles City Hall, in partnership with his acclaimed father, architect John Parkinson. The project was funded by the PWA, a New Deal program created to provide employment and modern infrastructure during the Great Depression.

Santa Monica City Hall Soon After Construction, Santa Monica Public Library, 1939

The building’s architecture is characterized by its symmetrical, stepped-back design, smooth white concrete exterior, window groupings, and intricate tile work. The tower, rising above the central entrance, features a colorful tile mosaic dome that has become a defining silhouette in the city. While the exterior reflects the strength and permanence of local government, the interior was designed to tell a story of the region’s cultural and natural history. City Hall’s integration of many decorative arts with Moderne architecture produced a masterpiece of the WPA era.

A rose garden dedicated to Santa Monicans who gave their lives for their country was planted by the Gold Star Mothers in the 1950s. It was replaced by a fountain in 2012.

The centerpiece of the lobby is a pair of massive murals entitled “The History of the Santa Monica Bay Region” and “Recreation in Santa Monica,” created by Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Born and raised in Santa Monica, Macdonald-Wright was a pioneer of abstract art and a co-founder of Synchromism, an art movement that emphasized the use of color to create form and rhythm, similar to musical compositions. These murals were funded by the Federal Art Project (FAP), a division of the WPA that was headed up in Southern California by McDonald-Wright himself.

The murals are integral to the design of the City Hall lobby, which also features custom tile, light fixtures, and metalwork.

The mural on the north wall, “The History of the Santa Monica Bay Region,” depicts the “Pre-European” era of Santa Monica, focusing on the indigenous Tongva people and the arrival of Spanish explorers. This section emphasizes the natural springs and the pristine landscape of the bay. On the south wall, “Recreation in Santa Monica” shifts the focus to the City’s urban development, showcasing the development of Santa Monica in the 1930s as a bustling seaside resort and recreation magnet. These scenes include depictions of the Santa Monica Pier, the aeronautical industry (specifically Douglas Aircraft), the vibrant beach culture, and polo players, inspired by Will Rogers’ nearby ranch.

“The History of the Santa Monica Bay Region,” created by Stanton McDonald Wright, 1939

What makes these murals particularly significant is the technique Macdonald-Wright used. Rather than traditional oil on canvas, he utilized “petrachrome,” a process involving crushed stone and colored cement. This technique was chosen for its durability and its ability to integrate seamlessly with the building’s architectural surfaces. The vibrant, saturated colors—reds, deep blues, and earthy ochres—reflect Macdonald-Wright’s obsession with color theory and give the figures a sculptural, heroic quality.

“Recreation in Santa Monica,” created by Stanton Macdonald-Wright, 1939.

Despite their beauty, the murals have not been without controversy. The history mural was criticized for how it depicted the colonial conquest of Native American land, and the modern mural for its “elite” perspective on the City’s claims to fame. Investigation into the murals as artworks disclosed other meanings, such as the naming of Santa Monica, and reflecting the tragic death of famed polo champion Will Rogers. In 2021, the city made a commitment to install interpretive signage near the murals to provide context and honor the true history of the Tongva people, ensuring that the lobby will serve as a place for education as well as aesthetic appreciation.

Santa Monica City Hall was designated a City Landmark in 1979 and remains a fully functioning seat of government. The lobby and its murals continue to be a primary destination for historians and visitors interested in the intersection of New Deal public works, regional history, and the evolution of American modernism.

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17. Tongva Park

Tongva Park

Before the buildings, before the streets, before the beach clubs and piers, the Tongva people inhabited the Los Angeles basin for thousands of years. They remain a strong community here today. Tongva Park, a 6.2-acre urban oasis located at 1615 Ocean Avenue, opened in 2013 on the site of the former Rand Corporation campus. Its name acknowledges the Tongva of the past and the present.

Photo: Joakim Lloyd Raboff

The park was designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm responsible for New York City’s High Line. They were commissioned to create a spatial bridge between the Santa Monica Civic Center and the beach while honoring the landscape’s deeper history. The design concept is rooted in the arroyo, the water-carved dry creek bed found throughout arid Southern California. Sculpted topography creates a series of curving, “braided” pathways winding through four distinct areas: Garden Terrace, Gathering Grove, Picnic Grove, and Observation Hill, each offering a different relationship to the sky, the sea, and the ground beneath your feet.

The most striking architectural elements are the paired pavilions on Observation Hill: large, cocoon-like metal structures inspired by traditional Tongva baskets and dwellings. They offer shaded viewing platforms that overlook the coastline, blending organic forms with modern industrial materials.

Sustainability was built into every layer of the project: more than 100 species of drought-tolerant plants, a water recirculation system threading through sculptural fountains and streams, and a design philosophy that treats ecological health as inseparable from public life. Tongva Park received the Urban Land Institute’s Global Award for Excellence, recognition for a park that made something genuinely new out of the act of remembering.

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16. Pierside Mural

Pierside Mural

Photo: 18th Street Arts

The “Pierside Mural” is a work of public art located at 120 Colorado Avenue that covers the entire west-facing wall of the Pierside Hotel directly across from the Santa Monica Pier. Completed on January 25, 2023, the mural was created by world-renowned contemporary artist and activist Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant crew. Standing approximately 140 feet tall, it is one of the artist’s largest commissioned works on the West Coast.

Photo: TripAdvisor

The mural serves as a “cultural mosaic” designed to celebrate the unique heritage and rebellious spirit of Santa Monica. Fairey’s signature graphic style, utilizing a bold palette of red, blue, and cream, depicts a central female figure representing strength and positivity. The composition is layered with historical references that Fairey curated to reflect the city’s multi-dimensional identity. These include a Pacific Ocean Park (POP) amusement park ticket from the 1950s and various nods to the “Dogtown” surfer and skater culture of the 1970s. In a statement regarding the project, Fairey emphasized that the neighborhood’s “vibrant history filled with creators and rebels” was his inspiration.

Its position at the intersection of Ocean and Colorado Avenues makes it an immediate landmark for visitors arriving at the pier, bridging the gap between the city’s historic past and its modern role as a center for creative expression.

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15. SM Pier

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is a complex of two adjoining piers and serves as the focal point of the city’s coastline. Its history is largely defined by the combination of municipal utility and private entertainment. The original Santa Monica Municipal Pier opened on September 9, 1909, to considerable fanfare, but its primary purpose was unglamorous: it carried sewage pipes far enough beyond the shore that the outfall wouldn’t foul the beach. Its recreational potential was recognized almost immediately, but it took entrepreneur Charles Looff — who built his private “Pleasure Pier” alongside the municipal one in 1916 — to turn the site into the destination it became.

Opening Day at the Pier, Postcard, Santa Monica Public Library, 1909.

The pier’s history, meticulously documented by historian James Harris in “Santa Monica Pier: A Century on the Last Great Pleasure Pier,” is largely a story of survival. During the 1970s, the Santa Monica City Council moved to demolish the aging pier in favor of a coastal causeway and resort development. The pier was saved by a grassroots “Save Our Pier” campaign, which ousted several councilmembers and ended redevelopment plans. As a result, the city adopted a Landmarks and Historic District Ordinance in 1975, and the Santa Monica Pier became the city’s third designated landmark. Rehabilitation work was just getting underway when the pier faced devastating winter storms in 1983 that destroyed over a third of the structure. The city rose to the occasion and the pier underwent a massive restoration.

Opening Day at the Pier, Photogragh by H.L. Rile, Santa Monica Public Library, 1909.

In 1996, the opening of Pacific Park brought new amusements to the pier, featuring the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel. Today, it is the sole surviving amusement pier in California. The Santa Monica Pier is a prime visitor destination, and a resilient civic monument that reflects the evolving cultural and economic spirit of Santa Monica and Southern California.

Santa Monica Pier today, Santa Monica Pier Corporation.

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14. Looff Hippodrome

Looff Hippodrome

The Looff Hippodrome stands as the oldest and most architecturally significant building on the Santa Monica Pier, designed and built by Charles I.D. Looff in 1916. Looff, a beachfront amusement park entrepreneur, became famous for creating the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. He arrived in Santa Monica with a vision for a world-class “Pleasure Pier,” constructing a massive wooden structure adjacent to the utilitarian municipal pier built in 1909 to house his ornate carousel and an amusement zone, which featured a roller coaster, a funhouse, and various carnival games.

Looff Hippodrome, Santa Monica Public Library, 1960.

The establishment of the Looff amusement pier marked a turning point for Santa Monica’s north beach, which had been drained of visitors since Abbot Kinney’s Venice of America debuted nine years earlier in 1905. The original portion of the Santa Monica Pier had been built to carry sewage pipes beyond the breakers, but the neighboring “Looff Pier” (a separate structure that adjoins the municipal pier) transformed the area into a premier tourist destination, setting the stage for the opulent private beach clubs to be built along the coast during the 1920s. The Hippodrome’s architecture is a unique blend of Byzantine, Moorish, and Spanish styles, characterized by distinctive clerestory windows and shingled towers. This grand design was intended to elevate the amusement park experience, moving it from the grit of typical boardwalks into a more majestic setting.

The carousel currently housed inside is not the original machine Looff installed, which was sold in 1939. The current carousel was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1922 and moved to the Hippodrome in 1947. It is a masterpiece of American folk art, featuring 44 hand-carved wooden horses, all of which were meticulously restored to their original glory in the late 20th century. The carousel remains one of the few all-wooden, hand-carved merry-go-rounds in operation today.

Carousel Horse by Philadelphia Tobaggan Company, Santa Monica Public Library, 1970.

The Hippodrome was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It has also made its mark on film: it doubled as a Chicago carousel house in the 1973 film “The Sting,” and has appeared in countless productions since. Despite surviving storms and a near-demolition in the 1970s, Looff’s pier continues to do exactly what he intended — bring people to the water’s edge for a spin on a carousel.

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13. Beach Volleyball

Beach Volley Ball

The game of volleyball was invented by Massachusetts gym teacher William G. Morgan in 1895 as an indoor sport. Beach volleyball spun off from the original in 1915 at the Outrigger Canoe Club on Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach and came to Santa Monica with legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku in 1922. It quickly became so popular that the city installed several public volleyball courts on the sand, primarily in the area south of the Santa Monica Pier. These courts offered a free, accessible alternative to volleyball courts springing up at private beach clubs that were dotting the Santa Monica’s northside coastline. The first beach volleyball tournament in Santa Monica was a casual event held in 1924.

Beach Volleyball Courts with Lifeguard Headquarters and Purser Apartments in the background, 1956.

The sport changed forever in 1930 at the Sorrento Beach Club courts. While a group of players were waiting for the rest of their teammates to arrive, they decided to play a match with only two people on each side rather than the standard six. Paul “Pablo Johnson” is credited with instigating that casual game that changed the sport’s dynamic forever. The 2v2 format demanded greater athleticism, communication, and court coverage from each player, elevating it from a pastime to a serious sport. The two-player game became the standard for competitive beach volleyball, leading to the professional and Olympic formats used today.

Beach Volleyball before the Lifeguard Headquarters were built, Santa Monica Public Library, 1956.

During the 1940s and 50s, Santa Monica was the global epicenter for beach volleyball. The first official tournament was held at Will Rogers State Beach in 1947. The proximity of the first public courts to Original Muscle Beach meant the same community of physically elite athletes competed in both arenas, fostering a culture of extreme fitness that helped shape the “beach lifestyle” as the world came to know it. This period also saw the introduction of the first “open” tournaments, which laid the groundwork for the professional tours that emerged in the 1970s and 80s.

Beach Volleyball, Santa Monica Public Library, 1970s.

Today, Santa Monica is officially recognized by the international volleyball community as the cradle of the sport. The iconic courts at Sorrento Beach (a private club located just south of Montana Avenue during the 1930s) and the first public courts near the Santa Monica Pier remain active training grounds for amateur and professional players alike. In 1993, the city of Santa Monica dedicated a plaque at Sorrento Beach to commemorate the site as the birthplace of the two-player game, ensuring its role in sports history is permanently honored.

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12. Lifeguard Station

Lifeguard Headquarters

The Santa Monica South Tower, also known as the Santa Monica Lifeguard Headquarters, is an iconic piece of Mid-Century Modern architecture located at 1642 Ocean Front Walk, just south of the Santa Monica Pier. Built in 1958, this facility replaced a series of earlier lifeguard stations. During the 1920s, the service operated near the Hotel Casa del Mar before moving onto the Santa Monica Pier in 1934, where Santa Monica lifeguards were based in the Bowling and Billiards Building, and then in the La Monica Ballroom. During the 1950s, Los Angeles County bought up significant beachfront property in order to ensure and expand public access to the ocean. The Santa Monica station was one of several that were erected by the county along the Southern California coast during this period.

Lifeguard Headquarters, Santa Monica Public Library, 1956.

The building was designed by the celebrated firm Welton Becket & Associates, whose other commissions during this same period included the Capitol Records Building, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and — just a few blocks away — the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The sleek and utilitarian 73- x 80-foot building features a distinctive cantilevered observation deck that provides a 270-degree view of the coastline, even though its primary function was never as a look-out station, given its 230-foot setback from the shoreline. Inside are first aid stations, locker rooms for lifeguards, and a center for radio communications between the wooden lifeguard stations close to the water that actively look out for the safety of beachgoers. Covered parking is provided at the rear of the structure for vehicles used by lifeguards to traverse the beachfront.

Lifeguard Headquarters, Water and Power Associates Collection, 1959.

The lifeguard headquarters was built in the International Style adapted for a coastal environment. Its steel frame and large glass windows create a light, transparent appearance, while a heavy concrete base ensures stability against shifting sands and corrosive salt air. One of its most recognizable features is its multi-barreled, vaulted thin-shell concrete roofline. The distinctive concrete roof endures the harsh beach environment well and is a relatively early example of a roof treatment that became ubiquitous in California civic architecture in the 1960s.

Today, the lifeguard headquarters remains the central nervous system for Los Angeles County Lifeguard operations in the Santa Monica area. Despite the harsh marine environment, the building has maintained its structural integrity, though the original vehicle parking bay was enclosed with a stucco wall and new metal roll-up doors in 1973. The station reflects Becket’s approach to blending civic functionality with enduring design.

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11. Muscle Beach

Muscle Beach

In the wake of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, a New Deal Works Progress Administration program installed gymnastics equipment on the Santa Monica beachfront for schoolchildren whose facilities had been irreparably damaged. But the rings, bars, and platforms they installed quickly attracted a different crowd: acrobats, gymnasts, and stunt performers who drew growing audiences with spectacular tumbling and balancing acts. By the late 1930s, the site had a name, a reputation, and regulars who would go on to reshape the fitness industry, establishing a unique cultural phenomenon that predates the later version in Venice.

Crowds at Muscle Beach, Santa Monica Public Library, 1956.

Through the 1940s and 1950s, Muscle Beach peaked as a “fitness mecca,” attracting legendary figures who would go on to revolutionize the health industry, including icons like Jack LaLanne, the “Godfather of Fitness,” and Joe Gold, who later founded Gold’s Gym. The site was also a ground-breaking space for women’s athletics, championed by Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton. Known as the “Queen of Muscle Beach,” Stockton’s strength and gymnastic prowess challenged the societal norms of the era for women. Because of its proximity to Hollywood, it wasn’t uncommon to see stars like Steve Reeves or Kirk Douglas training alongside the locals, further cementing the beach’s legendary status.

Muscle Beach, Santa Monica Public Library, 1950s.

The original era of Muscle Beach came to a sudden halt in 1958, following a controversial criminal incident involving certain individuals. The Santa Monica City Council, which had grown wary of the crowds and the “unconventional” lifestyle of the athletes, ordered the equipment removed. This displacement led many of the regulars to move two miles south to Venice Beach, where a weightlifting pen eventually became the new bodybuilding epicenter. While Venice took over the “Muscle Beach” name for several decades, Santa Monica officially rededicated its site as the “Original Muscle Beach” in 1989. Today, it preserves its heritage by focusing on gymnastics, rope climbing, and acrobatics rather than the heavy weightlifting found further down the coast.

Muscle Beach, Santa Monica Public Library, 1950s.

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10. Purser Apartments

Purser Apartments

The Purser Apartments, at 1659 Ocean Front Walk, stand as a rare architectural and cultural remnant of early 20th century Southern California. This four-story building is one of the few surviving examples of the original Seaside Terrace Tract, a residential development that helped define Santa Monica’s beachfront long before it became today’s luxury destination. The property was originally developed by William E. Porter in 1912 as an apartment hotel, accommodating tourists who traveled to the coast for health or recreation as well as year-round tenants. During its construction, ownership transferred from Adella P. Porter to Idella Dotter Purser, giving the building its enduring name. It officially opened in May 1913 with a grand musical concert, drawing notable guests from Los Angeles and Pasadena.

The Purser Apartments are a familiar backdrop to Muscle Beach, Santa Monica Public Library, 1942.

Architecturally, it is one of the most refined examples of Mission Revival style along the Santa Monica beachfront — smooth stucco facades and clean geometric forms evoking California’s Spanish colonial heritage. For many years, the building’s original charm was obscured by modern alterations, such as non-historic foam quoining and aluminum windows. However, a recent rehabilitation restored its clean lines and period-appropriate off-white stucco, earning it a Santa Monica Conservancy Rehabilitation Award in 2022. It has been a City-Designated Landmark since 2017.

The Purser Apartments before the rehabilitation, Ostashy Associates Consulting, 2019.

The Purser is also steeped in local lore. Its location adjacent to Original Muscle Beach made it a favored address for entertainers seeking proximity to the boardwalk’s lively scene, and local historical accounts suggest that silent film icon Charlie Chaplin was among its early notable residents. Today the building operates as a functional apartment community, its studio suites still offering the sweeping beach views and sense of history that have defined it for over a century.

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9. Singing Chairs

Singing Beach Chairs

Somewhere between sculpture and musical instrument, the “Singing Beach Chairs” is a permanent public art installation near the 1700 block south of Ocean Front Walk. Created by artist Douglas Hollis in 1987, this interactive piece is one of Santa Monica’s most recognizable examples of “site-specific” or “environmental” art, designed to respond directly to the natural elements of the coastal environment.

Singing Beach Chairs, 1987.

The installation consists of two oversized, high-backed aluminum chairs that resemble traditional lifeguard stands or beach chairs. However, these chairs are functional musical instruments known as aeolian harps. The backs of the chairs are fitted with a series of long, vertical aluminum pipes and tensioned wires. As the wind blows off the Pacific Ocean and through the structures, it vibrates the strings and pipes, creating a haunting, melodic sound that changes in pitch and volume depending on the wind’s speed and direction.

Hollis designed the piece so that sitting in one of the chairs places you within the “sound chamber” of the instrument, hearing the resonant hum of the wind while looking out over the ocean. The chairs are spaced far enough apart to offer a solitary, contemplative experience, yet they remain a social curiosity for beachgoers. The use of aluminum and industrial materials reflects an aesthetic choice, while ensuring the structures can withstand the corrosive effects of the salt air.

Over the decades, the “Singing Beach Chairs” have become a beloved part of the Santa Monica coastline, bridging the gap between sculpture and experience. The work serves as a reminder of the invisible forces of nature—like wind and sound—making them tangible for the public. It remains a key highlight of the city’s commitment to integrating art into the everyday experience of the beach.

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8. California Wash

California Wash

“California Wash: A Memorial,” is a significant public art installation located at the end of Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, where it meets the beach. Completed in 1996, the work is a collaboration between artist Nicole Luckut and artist/architect Spurlock Poirier Landscape Studio, with several others. It was commissioned as part of the city’s broader effort to integrate public art with coastal infrastructure and environmental education.

California Wash, A Memorial, Helen Harrison, Newton Harrison.

The artwork functions as both a visual landmark and a functional landscape piece. It evokes the memory of a natural coastal “wash,” a type of seasonal stream that once carried rainwater and sediment from the inland mountains directly into the Pacific Ocean, replaced by the Kenter Canyon Storm Drain in the 1930s. The art installation features a long, meandering pedestrian ramp and walkway that mimic the path of a stream. Flanked by concrete walls embedded with local river rocks, seashells, and industrial debris, the work represents the layers of geological and human history that define the Santa Monica coastline.

The piece forms a link between the urban environment of the city and the natural environment of the beach. Drought-tolerant native plants, such as coastal sage scrub and grasses, reinforce the theme of local ecology. The “memorial” aspect of the title refers to the loss of the natural landscape that existed before urban development. By creating a physical space that simulates a wild waterway, the artists invite visitors to reflect on the transformation of the California coast and the environmental systems that have been paved over by modern infrastructure. The work culminates on top of a walkway that passes over the outflow of the Kenter Canyon Storm Drain with a detailed map of the city’s water infrastructure that is embedded in the pavement, completing the symbolic transition from a natural waterway to urban water systems.

Strategically placed between the Hotel Casa Del Mar and the Shutters on the Beach hotel, “California Wash” successfully transforms a utilitarian beach access ramp into a historical and environmental monument, making it a key component of Santa Monica’s public art collection.

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7. Casa del Mar

Casa Del Mar

Few buildings on the Santa Monica coast have lived as many lives as the Hotel Casa Del Mar at 1910 Ocean Way. A striking example of the opulent architecture of private beach clubs that defined the Southern California coast in the 1920s, it was completed in 1926 at a cost of $2 million, originally serving as the Club Casa Del Mar, an exclusive beach club. Architect Charles F. Plummer designed the structure in the Renaissance Revival style, drawing inspiration from Italian palazzos. Its most iconic features include a soaring double-height lobby with coffered ceilings, arched windows overlooking the Pacific, and intricate Mediterranean tilework. During its peak as a beach club, it was one of the most opulent social hubs on the West Coast, catering to the era’s wealthy elite.

Club Casa Del Mar under construction, Mexican Presence in Santa Monica Collection, Santa Monica Public Library, 1926.

The building’s role shifted dramatically following World War II with the decline of the private beach club era. In the 1960s, the property became the headquarters for Synanon, a controversial drug rehabilitation program. The elegant ballroom and social halls were repurposed for communal living and “the Game” sessions, a confrontational form of group therapy. The fortress-like atmosphere and unconventional activities of this period were a far cry from the Jazz Age parties the building had once hosted.

In 1978, the building entered a new phase when it was purchased by Nathan Pritikin to serve as the Pritikin Longevity Center. The facility became a world-renowned destination for health and diet reform regimens designed to reverse heart disease. The grand rooms that hosted jazz bands and Synanon sessions were then converted into medical consultation offices, exercise rooms, and dining halls serving heart-healthy cuisine. This period helped cement the building’s importance to the modern health and wellness movement in California.

Casa Del Mar, Water and Power Associates Collection, 1926.

A massive $50 million rehabilitation in the late 1990s restored the property’s original grandeur, reopening as the Hotel Casa Del Mar. The renovation meticulously preserved historic architectural details such as ornate ceiling moldings and a grand staircase while modernizing the interior for high-end hospitality. Today, it stands as a National Register Landmark, representing a unique historical timeline that spans the heights of the Jazz Age through controversial social movements of the 1960s, and the birth of the wellness industry.

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6. Beach Marker

Nick Gabaldón

Nicolas “Nick” Gabaldón was a trailblazing figure in United States surfing history, recognized as the first documented surfer of African American and Mexican American descent in the Santa Monica Bay area. Born in 1927, Gabaldón lived in Santa Monica and attended Santa Monica High School and Santa Monica City College. He learned to surf at Bay Street Beach, which was the primary seaside gathering place for the Black community in the Santa Monica area during his lifetime. Bay Street Beach served as his home base and entry point into the sport.

Nick Gabaldon, Painting by Richard Wyatt.

Gabaldón is most famous for his commitment to surf at Malibu’s Surfrider Beach, a premier surfing location roughly 12 miles north of Santa Monica. He sometimes paddled his surfboard the entire distance from Santa Monica to Malibu to reach the legendary waves. His presence at Malibu was a quiet but powerful act of defiance against the racist barriers of the 1940s and early 1950s. He earned the respect of his peers through his athleticism and smooth surfing style, effectively desegregating one of the most famous surf breaks in the world through his consistent presence.

Tragically, Gabaldón’s life was cut short in June 1951 when he died in a surfing accident at the Malibu Pier during a large south swell. He was 24 years old. His death occurred just as he had submitted a poem to his college literary magazine titled “Lost,” which reflected on the nature of the ocean and mortality. For decades, his story was only known within the Santa Monica community, and kept alive by the surfers who knew him. In recent years, his legacy has gained national recognition as historians have come to see him as a symbol of how race and athleticism intersected in mid-century California, and how African Americans of his era challenged social restrictions through the act of self-fulfillment, joy, and leisure in public spaces, namely the ocean, that had long been difficult to access, if not off-limits.

Nick Gabaldon Day Commemorative Poster, 2013.

The City of Santa Monica officially recognized his contributions in 2013 by designating June 1st as “Nick Gabaldón Day,” for the annual event that promotes ocean conservation and introduces youth from underserved communities to surfing and African American beach culture histories. His story has been documented in films like “12 Miles North and Wade in the Water,” serving as a foundational narrative for organizations working to increase diversity in the water and awareness of history to a wider public. Nick Gabaldón’s story is a reminder that the ocean belongs to everyone, regardless of the systemic barriers that once sought to limit access.

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5. Bay Street Beach

Bay Street Beach

The Bay Street Beach National Register Historic District, located on Santa Monica’s shore between Pico Boulevard and Bicknell Avenue, is a significant landmark of African American resilience and recreational life in California. From the early 1900s through the mid-20th century, this stretch of coastline was a popular destination for Black families seeking a seaside sanctuary during the Jim Crow era, before and after the Casa del Mar Club, now hotel, was constructed. While many other California beaches were restricted through informal discrimination and outright hostility, this area provided a space where African Americans could gather to swim, socialize, and enjoy the ocean without the immediate threat of exclusion.

Members of Pi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection, UCLA, circa 1930.

White residents called this place “The Inkwell”, a derogatory slur. For the Black community, it was a site of joy and empowerment. Situated just down the hill from Phillips Chapel CME Church, which served as a spiritual and social anchor for local African Americans, it allowed for a cohesive community experience, where church services were often followed by social gatherings on the sand. Prominent Santa Monica families, such as the Ruckers and the Lawsons, were regulars at the site, helping to establish it as a stable and vibrant cultural hub for decades.

Couple at Bay Street Beach, Shades of LA Collection, Los Angeles Public Library, 1931.

The history of Bay Street Beach is also a story of political and social resistance. Although African American resort development plans were thwarted during the 1920s, the beach remained a public asset and a refuge for many non-White groups. It was a place where civil rights were asserted through the simple act of occupying public space, helping to lay the groundwork for future legal challenges to discrimination and segregation in California.

Bay Street Beach, Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection, UCLA, 1920s.

In 2019, Bay Street Beach was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its role as a rare African American coastal enclave. New Commemorative plaques to be installed at the edge of the sand are in the planning stages. They will help educate visitors about the community that thrived here despite the systemic barriers of the time. The district remains a powerful reminder of Santa Monica’s complex social history and the enduring legacy of multicultural residents.

Group at Bay Street Beach, Shades of LA Collection, Los Angeles Public Library, 1926.

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4. Bay Street Cluster

Bay Street Cluster

At the corner of Bay Street and Neilson way, three Craftsman-style apartment buildings have stood for more than a century. Known as the Bay Street Cluster, the homes were developed in 1912 and 1913 as the Dorchester Apartments & Annex by Charles Schemerhorn. They are rare surviving examples of the multi-family rental housing that defined the Ocean Park neighborhood. As Santa Monica was rapidly transforming into a coastal residential hub, this cluster provided middle-class housing options that maximized density while maintaining a traditional neighborhood feel and proximity to the Pacific Electric Railway that linked Ocean Park with Venice and Los Angeles, passing along adjacent Neilson Way.

Bay Street Cluster before a rehabilitation project that restored the original shingle siding. Photo: Santa Monica Library Image Archives, 1983

Architecturally, the two-story Bay Street Cluster buildings showcase the Craftsman style with low-pitched roofs, extended bargeboards, exposed beams and rafters, and wood shingle siding. Designated a Santa Monica local landmark in 1994, it stands as a testament to the early 1900s beachside lifestyle and remains a key part of the historic fabric of the city.

Bay Street Cluster viewed from Neilson Way.

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3. Main Street

Main Street

Main Street — the central artery of the historic Ocean Park neighborhood — offers a distinct alternative to the city’s more tourist-heavy commercial center in downtown. Developed in the late 19th century, the street was first named Lucas Avenue for the landowner Nancy Lucas, before being renamed Second Street and eventually Main Street in 1905. The street became a hub for southside residents, attracted to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the first amusement piers at Hill Street, Pier Avenue, and Hollister Avenue, all of which predate the present-day Santa Monica Pier.

Photo: Santa Monica Library Image Archives, 1926

The architectural landscape of Main Street reflects its long history, featuring a mix of styles from classical to Art Deco. Notable landmarks include the 1894 Roy Jones House, now the California Heritage Museum, and the Merle Norman Building, a Streamline Moderne survivor from the Great Depression era that speaks to local commercial resilience. Further landmarks include the Ocean Park Library, a 1916 Carnegie-funded facility, and the Mendoza Block (1913) where artist James Turrell developed some of his earliest work with light. The Frank Gehry-designed Edgemar Dairy and the Spanish Renaissance 1920s Parkhurst Building round out a streetscape that rewards the attentive walker.

Main Street in the 1980s. Santa Monica Library Image Archives.

Main Street has evolved into a trendy destination known for its eclectic mix of independent boutiques, art galleries, and a high concentration of restaurants and coffee shops. It maintains a “local surfer vibe” and is widely celebrated for its weekly Sunday Farmers Market, a major community gathering point. Main Street’s blend of historic buildings and contemporary retail continues to make it a key part of Santa Monica’s cultural and social identity.

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2. Phillips Chapel