James Pulliam (1925−2005) was a noted
Modernist
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
in the
Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...
of
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
.
Works
Pulliam was known for a "cut into box" style exhibited by the All-State Savings and Loan building in
Glendale, California, and original
Bronco Student Union Building at
Cal Poly Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the ''name'' section of this article for more infor ...
in 1976, and the interior remodeling of the
San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building
San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building is a former Los Angeles Harbor Department ferry terminal building located at Sixth Street at Harbor Boulevard in the community of San Pedro in Los Angeles, California.
The historic landmark building now houses t ...
to house the
Los Angeles Maritime Museum
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a non-profit maritime museum, located at Sixth Street at Harbor Boulevard in the community of San Pedro, in Los Angeles, California.
The Museum
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is housed in the former Municip ...
.
Noted architectural historian
David Gebhard
David S. Gebhard (1927 – 1 March 1996) was a leading architectural historian, particularly known for his books on the architecture and architects of California. He was a long-time faculty member at the University of California, Santa Barbara ...
cited a house he designed in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
as "monumental," and the Bronco Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona as the best building on campus.
He worked in the offices of
Richard Neutra and
Welton Beckett
Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California.
Biography
Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washingt ...
. He was later a partner in the architectural firm Pulliam
Zimmerman Matthews.
As president of the Los Angeles chapter of the
AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to:
Aia
* Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain
* Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis
* Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece
* ''Aia'', the collected ed ...
, he advocated for preserving the integrity of the
Los Angeles Central Library
Richard J. Riordan Central Library, also known as the Los Angeles Central Library, is the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), in Downtown Los Angeles. It is named after Mayor of Los Angeles Richard Riordan.
It consists of tw ...
.
He served as the campus architect at
Cal Poly Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the ''name'' section of this article for more infor ...
where he also served as an instructor at the
College of Environmental Design.
Death
James Pulliam died in 2005, at his home in
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge, commonly known as "La Cañada" (Spanish for "The Canyon"), is a city in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles County, California. Located in the Crescenta Valley, in the western edge of Southern Califor ...
.
In his obituary, the Los Angeles Times said:
::"''Jim Pulliam, FAIA was a gentleman Los Angeles modernist architect, known for his highly detailed custom modernist residential and commercial commissions. Jim's mid career works were celebrated in a major Los Angeles area architectural exhibit identified as The Los Angeles 12 Architects, of which Jim Pulliam was one of the distinguished twelve architects. Pulliam's works were included in the Los Angeles Twelve Architects exhibit and conferences at the Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles; Cal Poly Pomona Bookstore and Student Center Building (which he designed) and the Aspen Design Conference, Aspen Co.''."
References
Modernist architects
1925 births
2005 deaths
Architects from Los Angeles
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona faculty
Dartmouth College alumni
People from Lyons, Kansas
20th-century American architects
People from La Cañada Flintridge, California
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