The historical Pasadena Jewish Temple and Centerthe Palisades Theater, Pierson Playhouseand the Palisades Branch Library reported that their buildings have been completely destroyed by the ongoing fires devastating the Pacific Palisades coastal neighborhood in Southern California.
While the temple assured its congregation that the Torah scrolls have been rescued and are in a safe place, the performing arts theater noted on its website: Facebook page that the ‘beloved Pierson Playhouse is gone’ burned down completely last night – just days away from opening the curtains on a new production.
Exacerbated by heavy winds and dry conditions, four simultaneous forest fires have torn through Los Angeles County over the past 48 hours, resulting in five confirmed deaths until now. The flames have engulfed the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena, Sepulveda Basin and Sylmar neighborhoods, burning more than a thousand structures, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and closing businesses and cultural institutions.
On Tuesday evening, January 7, reports emerged of the Palisades Fire encroaching on the famed Getty Villa grounds, though a foundation spokesperson told Hyperallergic that the staff, collections and facilities have remained unscathed to date. The Villa will remain closed until early next week, and the Getty Center in Brentwood will also remain closed until Sunday, January 12, for safety and traffic relief.
Several other museums and galleries in Los Angeles County are temporarily closing as a precaution, citing concerns about air quality, high winds, environmental factors and commitment to staff safety. Jessica Youn, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, confirmed this in an email Hyperallergic that while the museum’s campus and collections are safe, they will remain closed to the public on Thursday, January 9.
The Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood Village and the Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles have also announced temporary closures for today, January 8. A spokesperson for the Hammer Museum said the art and campus are safe, and that the institution is assessing the possibility of an extended closure on a day-to-day basis.
Shuttered commercial galleries include Lisson, Sean Kelly, The Box, the Hauser and Wirth Bookstore, and Control Gallery.
Near the Getty Villa, the Kauffman estate in Malibu, also known as Villa de Leon, was reportedly on fire, as seen in a video shared by Los Angeles Magazine on Instagram. The Italian Revival estate was built in 1926 and has been used as a backdrop in a variety of high-profile music videos and commercials, including but not limited to Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’, Foster the People’s ‘Call It What You Want’, Selena Gomez’s ‘Love On’, Beyoncé’s ‘Haunted’ and Tyler the Creator’s ‘A BOY IS A GUN*’.
While the Eames House, the 20th-century modern architectural landmark designed by industrial design couple Charles and Ray Eames in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, is currently unscathed, it has also suspended visits and tours until further notice. In a statement to Architectural summaryLucia Dewey Atwood, executive director of the Eames Foundation, said the team “worked quickly to remove a small number of items from the house before having to evacuate the building.”
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.
