Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre
The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre is a landmark Art Deco office-and-entertainment complex and live performance venue in Los Angeles's Koreatown.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre is a twelve-story Art Deco complex at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The property is commonly called the Wiltern Center, while the theater itself is generally known simply as the Wiltern. Its location at the western edge of Koreatown places it directly across from the Wilshire/Western station of Los Angeles's D Line subway, making it one of the city's most recognizable transit-accessible performance venues. Completed in 1931, the complex was designed by Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements and constructed by the William Simpson Construction Company. The office tower rises approximately 155 feet and is built of steel-reinforced concrete. Its narrow vertical windows, two-story pedestal, blue-green glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding, and diagonal placement at the intersection give it a distinctive French Zig-Zag Moderne appearance. The theater entrance is marked by prominent vertical neon signage and terrazzo paving. The Wiltern was originally conceived as a vaudeville and movie theater and opened as the Warner Brothers Western Theater, intended as a flagship venue for the Warner Bros. theater chain. After closing within its first year, it reopened in the mid-1930s under the Wiltern name, derived from the intersection of Wilshire and Western. The auditorium was designed by theater specialist G. Albert Lansburgh and features decorative plasterwork, tile details, murals by Anthony Heinsbergen, and a celebrated ceiling sunburst whose rays resemble Art Deco skyscrapers. The theater also originally contained a large Kimball pipe organ. By the late 1970s, years of neglect had left the complex in serious disrepair. Demolition proposals were filed twice, but local preservationists, including the Los Angeles Conservancy, helped prevent the building's destruction. Developer Wayne Ratkovich acquired the property in 1981 and worked with architect Brenda Levin on a comprehensive restoration. The office portion was completed in 1983; the theater required approximately two additional years of work because of damaged murals and plaster, missing fixtures, collapsed ceiling sections, and other deterioration. Restoration specialists, including A. T. Heinsbergen, helped recreate or repair historic decorative elements. Vintage Art Deco seats from Portland's Paramount Theatre were also reused. The restoration converted the former cinema into a flexible performing-arts venue. The rear wall was opened and the stage house extended to accommodate concerts and large-scale theatrical productions. The restored Wiltern reopened on May 1, 1985, with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Bill Graham Presents initially oversaw bookings and operations, and the venue subsequently hosted performances promoted by numerous concert and entertainment companies. Its program has included concerts, dance, stage productions, televised events, commercial shoots, and feature-film work. The venue originally held 2,344 seats. A 2002 modification removed 1,200 permanent seats from the main floor, permitting configurations ranging from standing-room events of roughly 2,300 people to seated layouts of approximately 1,850. Fixed seating remains in the loge and mezzanine areas. SFX acquired the operating lease in 2000, followed by Clear Channel Entertainment and Live Nation. LG held naming rights from October 2003 through October 2006, during which the venue was called Wiltern LG. Both the Pellissier Building and the Wiltern Theatre are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments. In the twenty-first century, the complex has continued to combine historic preservation with contemporary media and entertainment uses. Sugar Studios LA expanded post-production facilities in the tower in 2018, including a Dolby Atmos mixing stage and a 4K color-correction theater. The Wiltern remains an active Los Angeles concert venue and a prominent example of adaptive reuse of historic architecture.
History
The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre was developed at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue during Los Angeles's early 1930s building boom. Designed by Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements and built by the William Simpson Construction Company, the twelve-story tower and attached theater were completed in 1931. The tower's blue-green glazed terra-cotta exterior, vertical window bands, and diagonal orientation created a strong French Zig-Zag Moderne composition. Because Los Angeles height restrictions limited the apparent scale of buildings at the time, the tower's narrow windows were arranged to draw the eye upward. The theater was initially called the Warner Brothers Western Theater and was intended to serve as a flagship vaudeville and movie house. It closed after about a year, then reopened in the middle of the decade as the Wiltern Theatre, a name based on the Wilshire-Western intersection. G. Albert Lansburgh designed the auditorium interior, while Anthony Heinsbergen produced the colorful murals. Decorative plaster, tile, neon, terrazzo, and the auditorium's stylized ceiling sunburst established the theater as a major Art Deco interior. The building also contained a substantial Kimball pipe organ, at one time regarded as the largest theater organ in Los Angeles. The complex changed ownership in 1956 when it was sold to Franklin Life Insurance Company. During the following decades, the organ received attention from Los Angeles theater-organ enthusiasts, who restored it and organized recitals through the late 1960s and into the 1970s. The building itself received far less care. By the end of the 1970s, deterioration affected the theater's murals, plaster, seats, fixtures, and ceiling. Owners sought demolition permits on two occasions, prompting a preservation campaign that became one of the early successes of the Los Angeles Conservancy and helped establish the Wiltern as an important local preservation cause. Developer Wayne Ratkovich purchased the property in 1981 and recruited Brenda Levin as restoration architect. The office tower was renovated by 1983, but the auditorium required a more extensive intervention. Some original materials had been removed or sold, sections of the ceiling had fallen into the seating area, and the theater had also been used as a filming location for the movie Get Crazy. A. T. Heinsbergen, son of the original muralist, assisted with restoration and reconstruction. Where original seating was unavailable, Art Deco seats from Portland's Paramount Theatre were salvaged and adapted. Ratkovich's plan was not simply to recreate a cinema. The theater was redesigned as a flexible performing-arts center capable of presenting concerts and large theatrical productions. The rear wall was opened and the stage house was extended by about fifteen feet. After four years of work, the Wiltern reopened on May 1, 1985, with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Bill Graham Presents handled booking and operational oversight, and the venue developed a broad program involving concert promoters, dance companies, theatrical presenters, television productions, commercial productions, and film crews. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed there in August 1985, with footage later associated with the band's first official live release. The operating structure changed again in the 2000s. SFX took the operating lease in July 2000, and successor organizations Clear Channel Entertainment and Live Nation continued presenting events. In 2002, the ground floor was reconfigured by removing most of its permanent seats. This made it possible to accommodate standing audiences of approximately 2,300 or seated audiences of roughly 1,850, while the loge and mezzanine retained fixed theater seats. LG held naming rights between 2003 and 2006, producing the temporary Wiltern LG identity. The complex has continued to support new uses without losing its historic identity. In 2018, Sugar Studios LA expanded its facilities in the tower, adding a Dolby Atmos mixing stage and a 4K color DI theater. The Wiltern also hosted Madonna's ten Los Angeles performances on the Madame X Tour in 2019. During the COVID-19 period, its marquee carried a public-health message encouraging kindness and health, and in November 2020 the theater served as a presidential-election polling place. The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre remain protected as both National Register properties and Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments, while the Wiltern continues operating as a major live venue.
- 2018
Sugar Studios adds advanced post-production facilities
[1]Sugar Studios LA expanded its tower facilities with Dolby Atmos and 4K color-finishing capabilities.
- 2002
Main-floor seating reconfigured
[1]The venue removed most permanent ground-floor seating to support flexible concert configurations.
- 2000
SFX takes operating lease
[1]SFX obtained the lease to operate the venue, followed by its successor companies.
- 1985
Wiltern reopens after restoration
[1]The restored theater reopened on May 1 with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
- 1981
Wayne Ratkovich acquires the property
[1]Developer Wayne Ratkovich purchased the endangered complex and initiated its restoration.
- 1956
Sold to Franklin Life Insurance Company
[1]The complex was sold to Franklin Life Insurance Company.
- 1931
Complex completed
[1]The Pellissier Building and adjoining theater were completed as a twelve-story office-and-entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
- 1931
Warner Brothers Western Theater opens
[1]The theater opened as a Warner Bros. flagship vaudeville and movie venue.
- 1930
Theater renamed the Wiltern
[1]After reopening in the mid-1930s, the theater adopted the Wiltern name associated with the Wilshire and Western intersection.
Products and positioning
A landmark Los Angeles Art Deco venue positioned at the intersection of historic architecture, live entertainment, cultural programming, and adaptive reuse.
Live entertainment venue · 1931
Wiltern Theatre
The Wiltern is a restored Art Deco auditorium used for concerts, dance, theatrical productions, televised events, and private or commercial productions. Its adaptable main floor supports both standing-room and seated formats, while the loge and mezzanine preserve fixed historic theater seating. The venue is operated by Live Nation's Los Angeles division.
Historic office and mixed-use building · 1931
Pellissier Building
The Pellissier Building is a twelve-story steel-reinforced concrete Art Deco office tower built above a two-story retail and theater entrance base. Its glazed terra-cotta facade, vertical windows, neon signage, and relationship to the auditorium form the architectural identity of the Wiltern Center. The tower also accommodates contemporary production and post-production uses.
Marketing campaigns
- 1970Wiltern preservation campaign
Los Angeles
Local preservationists mobilized after the neglected complex faced demolition proposals. The campaign became one of the early successful preservation efforts associated with the Los Angeles Conservancy.
Outcome. The building and theater survived and were subsequently restored.
Brand decisions
2002
Introduce flexible audience configurationsStrategyBackground
The original theater seating limited the range of concert formats that could be presented.
Action taken
Approximately 1,200 permanent seats were removed from the ground floor, allowing standing-room events and multiple seated arrangements.
Aftermath
The venue could accommodate approximately 2,300 people standing or about 1,850 in a seated configuration, subject to event setup.
1981
Convert the historic cinema into a performing-arts venueStrategyBackground
The deteriorated theater required extensive restoration, and the new developer sought a use broader than its original movie-theater function.
Action taken
The rear wall was opened, the stage house was extended, and the auditorium was adapted for concerts and large theatrical performances while preserving its Art Deco character.
Aftermath
The Wiltern reopened in 1985 as a flexible live performance venue.
Sources1 sources
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