South Pasadena Public Library hosts an evening of architecture with Stephen Gee, author of Iconic Vision, John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles (published by Angel City Press) and Debi Howell-Ardila, (architectural historian and preservation consultant with Historic Resources) talking about nationally-acclaimed South Pasadena architect Whitney R. Smith in the Community Room of the South Pasadena Public Library, 1115 El Centro St., South Pasadena, CA 91030, 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 24. For more information call 626-403-7340.
Among Parkinson’s four hundred buildings in the City of Angels are Los Angeles City Hall, the most iconic building in California; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the world’s only modern stadium to host two Olympic Games; and Los Angeles Union Station, the masterpiece that brought California’s railroad lines together. Iconic Vision, the first biography of the master architect, documents Parkinson’s monumental contributions to the city he loved. John Parkinson designed more landmark buildings in Los Angeles than any other architect and Stephen Gee’s biography penetratingly tell the story of a man who envisioned tomorrow.
Whitney R. Smith operated his own private practice in South Pasadena until the mid-1980s. His projects include the auditorium for the Huntington Library, the Pasadena Neighborhood Church, and the art studio and gymnasium at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena. Smith taught architecture and planning at USC and at Scripps College in Claremont. He also served on the Planning Commission and the Community Redevelopment Agency of South Pasadena.
