Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California is known for Hollywood glamour, laidback beach style, and a mix of different types of people. There are many neighborhoods in the city so lots of sights to see. While Los Angeles is expanding its metro transit, it is still more convenient to drive around in a car. Ridesharing and rental scooters are also popular in many metro areas but driving around in a car with the top down/sun roof open will allow you to feel the SoCal breeze and sun in your face and observe the transitioning of streetscape through different neighborhoods.

Whether it’s your first time in LA or you’re a local, here are the iconic architectural hotspots you must check out when in the City of Angels. Most places are accessible car but do include some time to find parking which is a big part of life in LA.

If you are visiting LA for the first time, one of the places to visit must be the Griffith Observatory. With the most iconic view of the widespread Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory offers a range of fun activities for the entire family of all ages, from astronomy to hiking to relaxation. Bring your hiking shoes and hike up to the Observatory from Fern dell Park or Vermont Ave and then on Mt. Hollywood trail to see the Observatory against the entire city or rows of palm trees up in the sky or a peek at Captain’s Roost.

If you drive up to the Observatory at night, you will clearly see city lights clearly defining the Los Angeles city grid. The most lit-up streets are the busy avenues and freeways that take you from one side of the city to the other side.

While Griffith Observatory is located in the famous Mt Hollywood/Griffith Park area with views of Downtown Los Angeles, the Getty Center is located near the Santa Monica Mountains and closer to the ocean. The campus, designed by Richard Meier, consists of the Getty Museum, buildings housed for the Getty Trust and Getty Research Institute, and beautiful gardens. The travertine used for the floor and buildings against blue skies with pockets of greenery and clear water gives a sense of what being in Southern California is about – a relaxing life with happy sunny weather.

When Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall arrived in Downtown Los Angeles, there was much criticism about the sunlight hitting the stainless steel panels and blinding everyone located in adjacent sites. The stainless steel panels were sanded down to eliminate glare. Today, it is one of the most famous concert halls for one of the most famous orchestras in the world – the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The curves of the panels mimic how music is conducted, offering play in scales and creating curiosity in paths. The LA Philharmonic Orchestra’s season at the Walt Disney Concert Hall starts from October to June so definitely plan to attend an event there. When you have the chance to sit in the theater, noticed the design of the organ. Gehry’s concept for the organ was a curved wooden pipe that can be musically played.

Conveniently located adjacent to the Walt Disney Concert Hall is Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Broad Museum. The facade is like a veil covering a special gem (the exhibition). The entrance is at the corner where the veil is lifted off the ground. One of the most photographed areas in the museum is the escalator that takes you to the top level of the exhibitions. The perforation on the veil allows natural light into the exhibition spaces. As you navigate through the exhibitions, you will wonder “where are some of these exhibits stored?” Luckily, as you make your way back down to the exit, you are given sneak peeks of the back of the house aka the exhibition storage library and offices.

Even if you are not a contemporary art person, the Broad Museum is still worthy to visit. Reservations are free and if you’re lucky, you should secure tickets to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room.

Stahl House, also known as Case Study House #22, is an architectural icon for those who studied architecture in Southern California or those who love real estate. It is one of the few case study houses that were built. Located in the Hollywood Hills, the modernist house was designed by Pierre Koenig for the Stahl family. Julius Shulman’s photograph of two women in sitting in the living room looking out at the panoramic view of the city became an iconic image for the glamourous LA life in the 1960s. Visiting the home requires reservations so plan your trip in advance if you really want to visit a home that truly defines LA.