Lido Hotel Apartments

The Lido marked the eastward expansion of downtown in the 1920s, with this large residential building replacing wood frame houses. Such a large-scale project was unusual during the Depression, and provided housing for people of modest means. The architecture is pure Art Deco, executed in Roman brick.

Vertical piers carry the eye upwards to the striking blue terra cotta figurines at the top. These Egyptian-inspired accents recall the excitement created by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 and the subsequent popularity of Egyptian motifs in architecture.

Lively surfaces are created through varied brick patterns – horizontal for the piers, vertical under the windows, and diagonal to create chevrons at the top. The storefronts, with their horizontal lines, are Streamline Moderne.

Sources:

1. Santa Monica Conservancy. “Downtown Walking Tour.”