The Villa Riviera is located on Ocean Boulevard in the Alamitos Beach part of Downtown Long Beach. The building was completed in 1929 and is a registered historic landmark. It is a 16 stories tall and it is currently a building full of condominiums that you can purchase although I am sure the waiting list is probably pretty long.
The Riviera is most iconic because of its pitched copper roof which has turned green because that is what happens to copper after it gets some age on it. The green patina can be seen from miles around. It has been featured in lots of movies and one in particular was Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
Groundbreaking began in late 1927, with the opening planned for December 1928. Due to various delays, the official opening actually occurred April 1929. The building was not originally planned as a hotel; rather, it was built as residential stock co-operative (or “own-your-own”) apartments, and was known only as the Villa Riviera. It didn’t become a residential hotel until after the Great Depression, when the finance company took it back and sold it to a hotel concern. It then became known as the Villa Riviera Apartment Hotel.
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Barry, 1 year ago
Nice the copper top matches the tops of the Trees sort off
Wayne Mansfield, 1 year ago
Have been to Long Beach California to visit Mark Vitor Hansen in 2004… didn’t see this though… great green roof. Is it made of copper??
Helen, 1 year ago
Fantastic historical buildings, cant believe I never noticed them each time I have been to Long Beach.
Alexander BK, 1 year ago
Great building I love the roof top!
Tom Laing (@tomlaing), 1 year ago
The copper roof reminds me of the rooves of Cathedrals in Europe which are also copper.
Tedora, 1 year ago
Yes Tom, you are right. The Roof looks like european Cathedrals, just a lilltle bit modern
frederick U. Scott, 6 months ago
The hotel contributed to ww2 war effort by training bakers in its basement bakery for theU.S. Merchant Marines, Bill Seffle was the chief baker/instructor