OUR STORY

The “Hellman” – Biggest Building Ever Started in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Times; Aug 27, 1902:

. . . in this [LA] City, it will be one of the largest
and most thoroughly modern structures
that has yet been constructed on the Coast,
and the biggest building in Los Angeles . . .

In 1858, and at the young age of 15, Herman Wolf Hellman (“HWH”) immigrated to Los Angeles with his older brother Isaias. HWH began working as a simple clerk, then store owner and ultimately becoming one of LA’s premiere money men of the late nineteenth century, through his hard work, sound investments in land, oil and banking.

In 1903, HWH decided to erect an office building on the site of his downtown los angeles house. HWH built the largest, most modern and most costly building ever constructed in Los Angeles. It was also the most lavish, with marble floors and corridors and stained glass skylights in the lobby. Newspapers praised Hellman’s boldness.

The construction of the Hellman Building, catalyzed the development of South Spring street as “The Wall Street of the West,” and setting the cornerstone of LA Financial District for the next 70 years.

Today, the HWH Building, known as “HWH Luxury Living,” has been meticulously renovated and redesigned, bringing the historic building new life as 188 luxury high rise apartment homes, Downtown LA’s largest amenity rooftop, ground floor retail, bar and restaurant spaces. The original marble corridors, 3/4 inch maple hard wood floors, original historic windows, and stained glass domed skylights have been restored by the finest craftsmen of their trade. All renovations have met the original standard of excellence, in honor of Herman Wolf Hellman . . .”

The Hellman Building, crafted in 1903 to commemorate the life of Herman Wolf Hellman (“HWH”) has continued to stand as an architectural triumph and community pillar that boasts the best of Los Angeles’s evolving history. Established in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, the extraordinary HWH Building showcases original vaulted skylights, elegant stained glass, and a breathtaking, Italian marble grand staircase.

At the time of its initial construction, the Hellman Building was erected as a revolutionary and monumental stepping stone in architecture for its mere size and artistry construction. German architect, Alfred F. Rosenheim, set out to design the largest and most impressive 8-story structure – having it equipped with a full steel skeletal frame, fine mosaic inlay floors and gleaming metal partitions. The Beaux-Arts style of the building, characterized by order, symmetry, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation, reflected the wealth and opulence of the booming, surrounding financial district.

The iconic Hellman Building is globally recognized as one of the proud features that represents the finest architectural monuments in the City of Los Angeles. The Hellman Building carries a timeless grandeur, perfectly preserving a piece of Los Angeles History and culture amidst an ever-changing city.