Louis Naidorf, the architect behind Los Angeles’ famous Capitol Records building, passed away on Wednesday night at 96. His longtime friend Mike Harkins confirmed that he died of natural causes. Naidorf is best known for the Capitol Records building, completed in 1956 and named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006. He also designed many other LA landmarks, including the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the Beverly Center, and the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Naidorf held the oldest active architecture license in California, obtained in 1952. His influence reached beyond LA; he led the six-year restoration of the California State Capitol and designed the home of former President Gerald Ford in Rancho Mirage. He also created Phoenix’s Chase Tower, the tallest building in Arizona, and the Hyatt Regency Dallas with its iconic Reunion Tower.
Born in Los Angeles on August 15, 1928, Naidorf started sketching buildings at age 8. He graduated at the top of his class from UC Berkeley, where he predicted that computers would shrink and large office buildings would become less necessary. This idea inspired his design for the Capitol Records building.
Naidorf worked at Welton Becket and Associates, where he became vice president and director of design. He received the AIA California Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Even after his success, he mentored young architects as a professor at several universities, including Woodbury University, where he served as dean. Naidorf was a passionate reader and a devoted cat owner. His legacy will live on through his iconic designs and the many architects he inspired.
