The ceramic cladding of the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles is turquoise.
The thirteen-story Art Deco landmark opened on September 12, 1930, at 849 South Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. Architect Claud Beelman designed it for the Eastern and Columbia department stores, which shared the building after its rapid, nine-month construction.
Its glossy turquoise terracotta façade is accented with deep blue and gold trim, geometric patterns, zigzags, chevrons, and stylized plant and animal motifs. The turquoise color is so distinctive that the building is often described as one of Los Angeles’s most recognizable architectural landmarks.
A common mix-up is to choose azure or sapphire because the building includes blue decorative details. However, those colors belong to the trim; the dominant ceramic cladding is turquoise. The four-sided clock tower, topped with bright neon lettering spelling “EASTERN,” is another feature that helps identify the building.