Skip to Content
Architecture

The Wrecking Ball Cometh ~ Tower Records, Sunset Blvd.

12:13 PM PST on January 30, 2008

From the LA Times:

Preservation of what once was the Sunset Strip's most colorful place has turned into a black-and-white issue in West Hollywood. Preservationists complain that city leaders blocked their application to have a former Tower Records building declared a historic resource because color photographs of the brightly painted building were attached to the paperwork instead of black-and-white pictures that officials said were required. As activists hunted for black-and-whites to add to the paperwork, a Chicago developer planning a multimillion-dollar office and retail complex at the record store site filed his building request at City Hall.

Now the iconic music industry landmark at 8801 W. Sunset Blvd. famous for its hundreds of impromptu rock 'n' roll performances and album signings awaits demolition. Its iconic yellow facade has been repainted somber blue. Some preservationists are beginning to feel the same way.

Photo Credit: 02ma

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

From Pasadena to Palmdale: Two Contemporary Noir Novels

Set roughly 120 years apart, new novels by author Naomi Hirahara and actor/comedian Kirk Fox expose the corruption and latent menace just beneath the surface of the City of Angels.

August 29, 2026

Where Do the Candidates for L.A. Mayor Really Stand on Street Vending?

Mayor Karen Bass's team realizes that she messed up by trash-talking street vendors, but is Nithya Raman's campaign really pro-vendor?

August 28, 2026

Tijuana’s Prized ‘Tacos Varios’ Enter East L.A.

The border city's consummate working class taco arrives with rich guisados, handmade corn tortillas, beans, and rice.

August 28, 2026

L.A.’s Most Exclusive Poke Comes From a Car Trunk And Sells Out In Minutes

Some of the most euphoric experiences come from plastic baggie transactions. Eating Dover Sole Market's Hawaii-sourced poke is no exception.

August 27, 2026

Our Playbook Against ICE Burnout

The Daily Memo, as we knew it, did its job when it was most needed. Now, we are launching a newsletter called ICE Watch that goes right to your inbox every Wednesday—far away from the shadows the tech billionaires cast with their algorithms and the chaos they promote on your feeds. We hope you subscribe.

August 27, 2026