Edison Building, 601 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Significance: The building was designed by the prominent architectural firm of Allison and Allison. Opened on March 20, 1931, it was the first major all-electric heated and cooled building in the western United States. The building was built for Southern California Edison as its headquarters. The building is significant for combining innovative construction features and contemporary architectural treatments. In addition to the modern heating and cooling features, it was designed to be earthquake resistant. The architectural treatment of the pyramidal setback culminating in a tower is characteristic of "modern" buildings of the 1920's and 1930's. The interior contains representative work of several artists of prominence, including Hugo Ballin, Barse Miller, Conrad Buff, and E. Batchelder.
Survey number: HABS CA-2151
Building/structure dates: 1929 Initial Construction