The Janss Investment Company Building , also known as the Janss Dome , is a historic building in Westwood , Los Angeles , California , in the Westwood Village . The building is located at the five-way intersection of Westwood Boulevard , Kinross Avenue, and Broxton Avenue.
17-644: In 1929 the Janss Dome was the first building erected in the Mediterranean-themed Westwood Village. It housed the headquarters of the Janss Investment Company run by the Janss brothers, Edwin and Harold Janss, who were the developers of the village. The village was built as a shopping and cinema precinct to serve the adjacent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The second floor of
34-578: A 3,500-acre (14 km ) part of the Bernardo Yorba Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana property and named the new town "Yorba Linda". Sons Edwin Janss Sr. and Harold Janss developed Van Nuys and Owensmouth , now called Canoga Park . In 1911 Harold Janss married Arthur Letts 's daughter Gladys. In 1923 after Arthur Letts, Sr., died, they took control of the 3,300-acre (13 km ) William Wolfskill ranch on Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres . In
51-466: A deal to get the University of California, Los Angeles , in 1925 Janss Investment Company sold 375 acres (1.5 km ) to the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills at the bargain price of $ 1.2 million — about a quarter of its value. The cities, whose voters had passed bond issues to pay for the site, turned around and donated it to the state. The UCLA campus's "Janss Steps" are named for
68-730: A home for its members and students near campus. The university appeared to be wanting to sell the building for this purpose, but while some of Janss was willing to sell, one was unwilling to sell to "Orientals". The Janss Brothers' headquarters in Westwood Village, the Janss Investment Company Building or Janss Dome, was opened in 1929. The Dome stands today as one of the iconic buildings of Westwood Village. The firm's Janss Investment Co. "stamps" appear on sidewalks in many Westside residential neighborhoods. Edwin Janss Jr.
85-669: The Conejo Valley purchased in 1919. William Janss Jr., M.D., took over the family business and became Janss Corp.'s president in 1980. During his term, the firm developed some $ 160 million worth of projects. The firm ceased operations in 1995. Dr. Janss now resides in El Paso, Texas , where he practices. Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres Rancho San José de Buenos Ayres was a 4,438-acre (17.96 km ) Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given by Governor Micheltorena in 1843 to Maximo Alanis. The area that
102-478: The Janss building was the first male dormitory for UCLA students. The Janss Dome was designed by the architectural firm of Allison & Allison , who also designed UCLA's Royce Hall and Kerckhoff Hall . Architectural features of the building include a high portico and arched windows with the main part of the building having an octagonal shape and being surmounted by its signature dome with its Moorish style aqua and white zig-zag pattern and gold leafing. Atop
119-457: The dome is a cupola . This dome ranks alongside the white Spanish Revival / Moderne tower of the Fox Theater as an iconic landmark of Westwood Village. Around the beginning of the 1990s renowned architectural firm Morphosis adapted the dome for use as a clothing store by Contempo Casuals , and later it was occupied by a Wherehouse Music store. In 1998 restaurateur Michael Chow remodeled
136-601: The interior for a Eurochow restaurant but had the time-honored aqua and white zig-zag on the rotunda painted over in white. This caused the Westwood Design Review Board to order that the dome be restored to its traditional decoration. The Janss Dome housed a Japanese restaurant, Yamato, until June 2016. In 1971, the Paramount Securities Corporation (Michael & Elliot Lewis) purchased the property from Bank of America. The property (dome section)
153-710: The land as a ranch until he sold it to Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson in 1858. With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican–American War , the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented to Benjamin D. Wilson and W. T. B. Sanford in 1866. Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres
170-685: The two brothers. While the UCLA campus was being built, Janss Investment Company went to work developing the Westwood Village commercial area and surrounding residential neighborhoods. Due to racial covenants included in the deeds of the buildings in Westwood Village, people of color were barred from patronizing businesses in the area. After Janss sold the land to help build the UCLA campus, many organizations affiliated with university began to form. Many of these groups were fraternities and sororities whose members were mostly white men and women. The land for
187-476: The university had been sold, but the land surrounding it still belonged to Janss. They sold the land along Hilgard Ave. to twenty one European American groups for the prices between $ 7,500 and $ 9,500, whereas the usual asking price was between $ 8,000 and $ 12,000. In 1938 an Asian American sorority, Chi Alpha Delta , wanted to purchase the UCLA Religious Conference building with the hopes of setting up
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#1732852744313204-471: Was a family-run, Los Angeles –based real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995. The Janss Investment Company was founded by Peter Janss, an immigrant doctor from Denmark . Peter Janss graduated in the class of 1877 in Keokuk, Iowa , and by 1882 he was appointed Hall County physician. He moved to Los Angeles in 1893, planning to practice medicine but discovered the real estate industry
221-640: Was chairman of the Janss Investment Company and the third generation of a family of Los Angeles real-estate developers. He and his brother Bill Janss helped expand or develop two ski resorts — Sun Valley in Idaho and Snowmass (ski area) in Colorado — both of which were sold in the late 1970s. Bill Janss was a member of the never-to-compete 1940 US Ski Team . They developed the suburban community of Thousand Oaks on 10,000-acre (40 km ) of land in
238-504: Was given to Alanis now occupies Westwood , UCLA , Holmby Hills , and Bel Air, Los Angeles . The ranch extended from what is now Sepulveda Boulevard to Beverly Hills. Maximo Alanis became the first property owner when he moved to the area in the 1820s. By 1843 the Mexican governor, Manuel Micheltorena (1842–1845) gave Jose Maximo Alanis (in all likelihood this is Alanis' son) a one square league grant of land. Jose Maximo Alanis utilized
255-503: Was leased to Glendale Federal Savings and Loan. A cupola was placed on the dome, and an original Sir Richard Wallace fountain, dated 1872 (French), was added to the patio. The building is currently occupied by the Broxton Brewery & Public House. The Janss Investment Company Building was dedicated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument on June 21, 1988 (No. 364). Janss Investment Company The Janss Investment Company
272-582: Was much more lucrative. By 1906 he and his two sons, Edwin Janss Sr. and Harold Janss established an investment company, creating subdivisions in Belvedere Gardens , Boyle Heights , Monterey Park , and Yorba Linda . Janss developed Ramona Acres in Monterey Park. Janss subdivided Highland Villa and Belvedere Gardens (now known as East Los Angeles ) in Boyle Heights. In 1909, Janss subdivided
289-527: Was sold to John W. Wolfskill in 1884. In the late 1880s, the Los Angeles and Pacific Railroad (of which Wolfskill was a director) and the Santa Monica Land and Water Company partnered to run a Los Angeles to Santa Monica rail line through the ranch and lay out 800 lots for the prospective town of "Sunset". After the railroad failed, Wolfskill secured a judgment against the railroad and company for payment on
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