Press Play with Madeleine Brand

What made architect John Portman's buildings stand out?

The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown LA has been featured in several movies and TV shows. Its big open atrium and glass elevators have been the fictional site of chases, disasters, and presidential assassination attempts.

By Madeleine Brand • Jan 2, 2018 • 1 min read

The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown LA has been featured in several movies and TV shows. Its big open atrium and glass elevators have been the fictional site of chases, disasters, and presidential assassination attempts. They’ve been features of hotels and office buildings all over the world. The architect of the Bonaventure, John C. Portman, died Friday in Atlanta. He was 93.

Madeleine Brand
Host, 'Press Play'
Gina Pollack
Producer
Sarah Sweeney
Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW
Michell Eloy
Line Editor, Press Play
Christopher Hawthorne
Chief Design Officer, Mayor's Office, City of Los Angeles; former architecture critic at the Los Angeles Times

News

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

What made architect John Portman's buildings stand out?

The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown LA has been featured in several movies and TV shows. Its big open atrium and glass elevators have been the fictional site of chases, disasters, and presidential assassination attempts.

Share

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

What made architect John Portman's buildings stand out?

The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown LA has been featured in several movies and TV shows. Its big open atrium and glass elevators have been the fictional site of chases, disasters, and presidential assassination attempts.

Share