Crossroads of the World, Historic shopping district in Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States
Crossroads of the World is a shopping complex in Hollywood, California, arranged around a central building shaped like a ship. Small cottages in international style surround the main structure and form a series of low individual buildings along paved walkways.
Robert V. Derrah designed the complex in 1936 as one of the first outdoor shopping centers in the country during the Great Depression. The design combined modern architecture with international styling elements and inspired later shopping centers across North America.
The site served for decades as an office complex for film and music professionals, from actors to producers. The surrounding cottages housed agencies, sound studios, and small production firms that turned the district into a creative meeting ground.
The complex occupies the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue, and its walkways can be entered from the surrounding sidewalks. In January 2019 the city approved a redevelopment adding three high-rise buildings, 950 apartments and condos, a 308-room hotel and 190,000 square feet of commercial space, so access may change.
A rotating globe tops the central ship structure and became a recognizable feature in the Hollywood skyline. The arrangement of cottages was meant to symbolize a journey around the world and brought international architectural references into a California outdoor setting.
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