History
The Andalusia is a courtyard apartment complex at 1471-1475 Havenhurst Drive in West Hollywood, designed by Arthur and Nina Zwebell and completed in 1926. The Zwebells, a self-taught husband-and-wife design partnership, produced a series of romantic, courtyard-organized apartment buildings in Los Angeles during the 1920s, of which the Andalusia is the best known and most highly regarded. The building was conceived as middle-class housing wrapped around a deeply landscaped central patio, a typology drawn directly from Andalusian and Spanish Colonial precedents.
The Andalusia is a stucco-faced, wood-framed structure that uses the visual language of adobe rather than adobe construction itself, in keeping with the Spanish Colonial Revival idiom that dominated southern California in the 1920s. Two-story wings frame an oblong courtyard with a tiled fountain, paired tiled stairways, and an arcaded entrance from the street. Defining features include hand-carved doors, wrought-iron grilles and balconies, decorative tile risers, exposed wood ceiling beams, low-pitched clay-tiled roofs, and a series of small private patios at the rear of selected units. Many of the original interior fittings, including built-in fireplaces and tiled kitchens, survive in altered but recognizable form.
The complex attracted a notable clientele in the studio era; Clara Bow and other film figures lived there at various times, and the building has been used in numerous productions. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 under reference 03000775 in recognition of its architectural importance and its role in defining the Los Angeles courtyard apartment as a building type.
The Andalusia remains a private residential property and is not open to the public. Within the broader adobe and Spanish-influenced building tradition of California, the Andalusia represents the 1920s revivalist phase, when the courtyard plan and adobe-derived ornament of the missions and ranchos were translated into urban multifamily housing.
Common questions
What is the Andalusia?
The Andalusia is a historic Spanish Colonial Revival apartment courtyard building in Los Angeles, California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 03000775 and is one of several notable courtyard apartment complexes in the Havenhurst Drive area.
When was the Andalusia built?
No precise construction year is preserved in the registry data for the Andalusia. It is recognized as a significant Spanish Colonial Revival courtyard apartment complex listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where is the Andalusia located?
The Andalusia is located at 1471–1475 Havenhurst Drive in Los Angeles, California, in the West Hollywood / Hollywood area known for its concentration of historic courtyard apartments.
Is the Andalusia open to the public?
No, the Andalusia is a private residential apartment complex and is not open for public tours. The building is occupied as residences for its tenants.
What architectural style is the Andalusia?
The Andalusia is built in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style, featuring characteristic recessed doorways, decorative wall details, retaining walls, and a courtyard plan typical of historic Los Angeles garden apartments.
Why is the Andalusia historically significant?
The Andalusia is significant as a representative example of the Spanish Colonial Revival courtyard apartment building type that flourished in Los Angeles in the early 20th century. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 03000775.
