Plans for the Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center of Beverly Hills feature a 500-seat jewel box theater, a 150-seat studio theater/rehearsal hall, classrooms, café, gift shop, and sculpture garden.  Leading the design of the Cultural Center is the renowned architectural firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, recognized nationally and internationally for historic theater restoration. The $30 million project is scheduled to begin in early 2006 and to be completed in late 2007.

“The incredible generosity and spirit of The Annenberg Foundation and, especially, Wallis Annenberg, a long-time and valued member of the Beverly Hills community and Cultural Center Board member, moves us ever closer to realizing our dream of an extraordinary Cultural Center,” stated Chairman Bram Goldsmith, Chairman of City National Bank. “ I'm joined by Vicki Reynolds, Chair of the Capital Campaign, and our entire Board of Directors in expressing our gratitude for this magnanimous gift. We share with The Annenberg Foundation a commitment to enriching the lives of our community and all Angelenos.”

 “Beverly Hills has always held a special place in my heart,” said Ms. Annenberg.  “It has long been my home and I was fortunate to have raised my children here.  My father's greatest legacy to me is a love for the arts and an appreciation for their impact and value in each of our lives. I am proud to be a part of the artistic vision that the Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation embodies.”

The Annenberg Foundation grant of $15 million is the naming lead gift of the $47 million Capital Campaign to preserve and adapt the landmark building as a Cultural Center.  The Capital Campaign, currently underway, is for the Cultural Center's design, construction, operations and endowment.  This gift brings the total raised to date to $28 million. Other gifts will be announced shortly.   

“On behalf of the City of Beverly Hills and its residents, I want to express our thanks and appreciation to Wallis Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation for their most generous gift,” stated Mayor Mark Egerman. “ The Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center promises to become a true city treasure. Residents and visitors alike will be drawn by its welcoming ambience and the excitement of live theater, coupled with the convenience of finding superb restaurants and retail stores all within a few short blocks. While Beverly Hills has long been known as a mecca for tourists from all over the world, as well as a wonderful place in which to live and raise our families, the Cultural Center is certain to bring an increased level of vitality to our city.”

The historic landmark Post Office building is the cornerstone of Beverly Hills' business triangle.  Facing Santa Monica Boulevard, between Crescent and Canon drives, the Italian Renaissance Revival building lends itself beautifully for an adaptive reuse into an elegant theater venue to serve as a major cultural, artistic and educational resource.

According to Lou Moore, Executive Director of the Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation, “Our vision is to provide an artistic program that will entertain, enlighten, and challenge audiences to know more about themselves and the world we live in. The focus of the Cultural Center has evolved from earlier plans as solely a children's theater to a venue offering a rich variety of the performing arts and cultural events that will appeal to audiences of all ages, including a specially designed professional children's theater series.  Professional artists, both local and from all corners of the globe, will appear in first class productions in our main theater and in the smaller, more intimate studio theater,” continued Moore. “At the same time, the classrooms in our conservatory program will be filled with young people learning what makes live theater and the arts such a unique and wonderful experience. Here at the Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center, we are going to create a place that is alive with excitement and discovery for all to enjoy and experience.”

Design Highlights
The new Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center will have as its centerpiece an elegant and intimate 500-seat Broadway style theater with comfortable spacious seats and convenient side boxes.  Designed with advanced adaptable acoustics, lighting and stage equipment, the theater will be well-suited for musicals, dramatic theater, dance, professional children's theater, puppetry, lectures, meetings and more.  A special acoustically isolated “quiet room” is being designed for the rear of the theater to accommodate people with special needs.

In addition, a new education and production wing will be constructed to adjoin and complement the historic post office building.  It will accommodate a 150-seat studio theater/rehearsal hall, three classrooms, production support areas and administrative offices.

The beautiful and ornate grand lobby, clad in Italian marble will welcome visitors to the Center.  Original fresco murals by artist Charles Kassler adorn the upper walls of the hall depicting the creation of the mail service and views of modern life during the Depression.  Audience members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in the original Post Office retail area where generations before bought postage stamps.  A landscaped sculpture garden, gift shop and an inviting café will complement the Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center of Beverly Hills, providing a pleasant environment that will enrich the theater-going experience and enhance the community.

History
The Beverly Hills Post Office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Built in 1933, the Post Office was constructed as a Work Projects Administration (WPA) project on the site of the former Pacific Electric Railway Station.  Prominent local architect, Ralph C. Flewelling, in concert with Allison & Allison Architects, received the architectural commission for the Italian Renaissance Revival style which complemented the design of the adjacent City Hall.
 Artist Charles Kassler was commissioned to decorate the walls of the interior Grand Hall with fresco murals depicting the creation of the mail service and views of modern life during the Depression.  These murals are one of only two fresco murals in California and stand today as an elegant representation of the citizens of another era.

The Post Office opened in 1934 and was dedicated in 1936 under the Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration.  For decades following, the Beverly Hills Post Office took on even greater significance by becoming the cornerstone of the City and its social fabric, where prominent citizens of Beverly Hills were spotted daily.

Following the decision in 1993 by the United States Postal Service to vacate and sell the building to the City of Beverly Hills, the Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation was awarded a long-term lease by the City Council in 1999 with a specific mandate to raise the necessary funds for the building, restoration and operation of a new Cultural Center.  The Cultural Center agreed to operate the facility as an arts presenter and producer of cultural programming on a year-round basis with the provision that several days a year be available for use by the City of Beverly Hills.

Building Design
The architectural firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (HHPA), internationally acclaimed for some of the country's most innovative architecture for cultural facilities and theaters, will lead the Cultural Center's design team.  HHPA's projects have included the Los Angeles Public Library, Colburn School of Performing Arts, New York's Radio City Music Hall and Broadway's New Victory Theater and New Amsterdam Theater. Rodney Freeman of the Freeman Group, Inc., one of the West Coast's premier construction management and consulting firms, is managing the Cultural Center building project.  Melendrez Design Partners, a 20- year old award-winning Southern California based design firm, has been selected as the landscape design team. Their work includes The Huntington Gardens, Pacific Design Center and Palisades Park in Santa Monica.

The Annenberg Foundation
Founded by publisher, diplomat and philanthropist Walter H. Annenberg in 1989, The Annenberg Foundation exists to advance the public well being through improved communication.  As the principal means of achieving its goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge.  The Annenberg Foundation has offices in St. Davids, Pennsylvania and Los Angeles, California.

Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation
Formed in 1994 following the decision by the United States Postal Service to vacate and sell the historic post office, the Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation's mission is to preserve the architectural integrity of the landmark building and to become a universally recognized cultural venue that enhances the community's quality of life. The Cultural Center will provide exceptional, professional performing arts productions and cultural programs for audiences of all ages and to serve as a major cultural, artistic, and educational resource for the citizens and young people of Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles.