Time literally stood still atop Santa Monica’s first skyscraper following the Northridge earthquake in 1994. For the following ten years, the clock on the stepped tower of the 12-story Bay City Guaranty and Loan Association Building at 225 Santa Monica Boulevard was frozen. Last year a $75,000 repair of the four timepieces (one on each side of its tower) started the clocks running again, and linked them to a satellite system to insure accuracy. The building was seismically retrofitted, at a cost of $1.6 million, and rehabilitated for another $6 million.

The building, also known as the Crocker Bank Building, was recently designated as a landmark at the initiation of the Landmarks Commission. Constructed in 1929-30, the building was the tallest in the city for more than 40 years. It served as a mixed-use office and commercial property for the headquarters of the Bay Cities Guaranty and Loan Association, the city’s leading lending institution in the late 1920s. It also provided tenant office space to numerous leading Santa Monica professionals.

Like other buildings of its time, it is a prominent example of the Art Deco style that was introduced in 1925 and remained an influential architectural design type until the end of World War II. Art Deco buildings are characterized by their simple geometric forms and vertical design, implemented through the use of pylons, pyramidal or stepped roofs and towers. It is one of nine sites included in the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles’ walking tour of Santa Monica. Key decorative elements of the building include its zigzag pattern and reed and chevron motifs typical of the Art Deco style.

The building was designed by the prominent Southern California architectural firm of Walker and Eisen, who were leading designers of numerous landmark office buildings, hotels and financial institutions throughout the region from the 1920s through the 1940s. Other buildings they designed include the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and the Alexander-Oviatt Building.

Thanks to the Landmarks Commission which, through its foresight, has ensured that this important building will be preserved for all of us to enjoy.