Capitol Records Building: Hollywood's Musical Icon

The Capitol Records Building, also known as the Capitol Records Tower, stands as a gleaming symbol of Hollywood's musical heritage. Completed in April 1956, the 13-story building was the world's first circular office building. Designed by Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket Associates, its unique architecture resembles a stack of vinyl records, although this was coincidental. The building quickly became a landmark, housing Capitol Records' West Coast operations and state-of-the-art recording studios. These studios have seen countless legendary recording sessions by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, The Beach Boys, and Sir Paul McCartney. The building also features subterranean echo chambers, designed with guitarist Les Paul, providing unique reverberation effects. The first album recorded in Capitol Studios was Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color. Adding to its allure, the building's rooftop spire blinks "Hollywood" in Morse code, a feature activated by Leila Morse, granddaughter of Samuel Morse, when the building opened. A mural on the building's south wall, "Hollywood Jazz: 1945-1972" by Richard Wyatt, pays tribute to jazz legends. The Capitol Records Building is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.