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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

L.A. County Hall of Justice Restoration

The Hall of Justice in the Los Angeles Civic Center is currently being renovated with completion scheduled for the end of this year.

Above, the dark Hall of Justice in a night shot from 2009. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The building had been sitting idle since the January 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

The interior of the 1925 building was gutted and sitting for years in preparation of restoration work. The main snag was funding the restoration. The ornate marble walls and other fixtures were stacked on pallets and stored in the basement (which, at one time housed the L.A. County Coroner's office).

Above, the marble walls were stacked in the basement in this photo from 2009. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2008-09, I worked for a security company who was contracted to provide security for the idle building. On a few occasions, I went inside the empty building and took some photos.

The interior shots were primarily taken in the basement of the Hall of Justice. It was eerie inside. It reminded me of Dracula's castle or Carfax Abbey in the 1931 Dracula that starred Bela Lugosi. The only thing missing to complete the picture in the basement were coffins.

Above, the basement of the Hall of Justice in 2009. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Funding was finally approved in and restoration began in 2012.

Clark Construction is currently renovating the Hall of Justice and a gigantic hole was dug for the construction of a new parking structure. The exterior of the Hall of Justice has been restored and currently the building of offices inside the building is taking place.

Above, fixtures and marble slabs in the basement in 2009. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Clark Construction has a website on the project: http://www.clarkhallofjustice.com/. It has detailed information on the project and many photographs of the renovation's progress. From the photos at the website, you can see that much has been accomplished since the work started two years ago.

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