What Los Angeles department store, built in 1929, is a landmark of Art Deco architecture?

Bullock's Wilshire, built in 1929, is the Los Angeles department store landmark known for its Art Deco architecture.

The building opened on Wilshire Boulevard in September 1929 as a luxury branch of Bullock's. Designed by architects John and Donald Parkinson, it was created for Los Angeles's growing automobile culture: shoppers could drive to a rear porte-cochère, where valets parked their cars. Its 241-foot tower, copper-clad details, geometric ornament, and lavish interiors made it an architectural and retail sensation.

A common mix-up is confusing the building with Bullock's original downtown store or with other Wilshire Boulevard landmarks. Bullock's Wilshire was a separate luxury branch and later a distinct division of the company. The store closed in 1993 after suffering damage during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Southwestern Law School acquired the building in 1994 and restored it for adaptive reuse. It entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and remains one of Los Angeles's best-known Art Deco landmarks.