Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California .
17-580: The Manila Jai Alai Building was a building designed by American architects Welton Becket and Walter Wurdeman that functioned as a building for which jai alai games were held. It was built in the Streamline Moderne style in 1940 and survived the Battle of Manila . It was considered as the finest Art Deco building in Asia, until its demolition. It was demolished in 2000 upon the orders of
34-407: A couple of corporate headquarters. Wurdeman and Becket developed the concept of "total design," whereby their firm would be responsible for master planning, engineering, interiors, furniture, fixtures, landscaping, signage, and even (in the case of restaurants) menus, silverware, matchbooks, and napkins. After Wurdeman's death in 1949, Becket formed Welton Becket and Associates and continued to grow
51-566: A heavy emphasis on walls clad in natural stone, particularly travertine and flagstone . With The Walt Disney Company and the United States Steel Corporation , Becket's firm co-designed Disney's Contemporary Resort , which opened in 1971 at Walt Disney World Resort . The Contemporary was designed as a 14-story steel A-frame with a monorail running through the building. Modular guest rooms were assembled, finished, furnished, fully equipped and their doors locked, on
68-482: A partnership with his University of Washington classmate Walter Wurdeman and Angeleno architect Charles F. Plummer . Their first major commission was the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in 1935, which won them residential jobs from James Cagney , Robert Montgomery , and other film celebrities. Plummer died in 1939. The successor firm Wurdeman and Becket went on to design Bullock's Pasadena (1944) and
85-583: The Mayor of Manila Lito Atienza amidst protests, to make way for the Manila Hall of Justice, which was never built. The building was located adjacent to the old Legislative Building now the National Museum of Fine Arts . Composed of four storeys, the building's Sky Room was "the place to be seen" in its day. The building's cylindrical glass facade was meant to evoke the velocity of the game, which
102-737: The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Institute (NHI), the Heritage Conservation Society and other heritage conservationists opposed the demolition. Atienza, a frequent bettor on jai alai in his youth, would replace the building with a new building for the city's courts. The conservationists attempted to at least save the building's facade, but were rejected since aside from being inconsistent with
119-723: The building became the site of the Torre de Manila , which was completed in 2019. It became controversial in itself because of the building being in the sightline of the Rizal Monument . Welton Becket Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washington program in Architecture in 1927 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree ( B.Arch. ). He moved to Los Angeles in 1933 and formed
136-401: The case of restaurants) menus, silverware, matchbooks, and napkins. After Wurdeman's death in 1949, Becket formed Welton Becket and Associates and continued to grow the firm to the extent that it was one of the largest architectural offices in the world by the time of his death in 1969. In 1987, his firm was acquired by Ellerbe Associates, and the merged firm continued as Ellerbe Becket until
153-540: The end of 2009, when it was acquired by AECOM . It is now known as Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM Company. Becket's buildings used unusual facade materials such as ceramic tile and stainless steel grillwork, repetitive geometric patterns, and a heavy emphasis on walls clad in natural stone, particularly travertine and flagstone . With The Walt Disney Company and the United States Steel Corporation , Becket's firm co-designed Disney's Contemporary Resort , which opened in 1971 at Walt Disney World Resort . The Contemporary
170-478: The firm to the extent that it was one of the largest architectural offices in the world by the time of his death in 1969. In 1987, his firm was acquired by Ellerbe Associates, and the merged firm continued as Ellerbe Becket until the end of 2009, when it was acquired by AECOM . It is now known as Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM Company. Becket's buildings used unusual facade materials such as ceramic tile and stainless steel grillwork, repetitive geometric patterns, and
187-579: The ground, then lifted by crane and inserted into the frame; however, this sometimes took multiple tries. Welton Becket was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1952. Becket's sons, Welton MacDonald Becket & Bruce Becket, are also practicing architects, as well as his nephew MacDonald G. Becket and granddaughter Alexandra Becket. Becket's extensive list of credits includes: Walter Wurdeman Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969)
SECTION 10
#1732781181619204-470: The intended function as a court and the building's association with gambling, the facade would be incompatible with the new building's neoclassical style . The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) was given the lot where the building once stood in 2005. The new building for city's courts, on the other hand, will be built on the site of the old GSIS building near Manila City Hall along Arroceros street, beside SM City Manila. On August 22, 2012, there
221-521: The results of jai alai games were prevalent. In 1986, the game per se was banned in the country due to allegations of game fixing . When Lito Atienza was elected Mayor of Manila in 1998, he immediately undertook several urban renewal projects in the city. One of the targets was the demolition of the now decrepit Jai-Alai Building. The vicinity had been taken over by vagrants, and the games transferred to Harrison Plaza in Malate, Manila . An effort by
238-616: Was a so-called " ground-breaking " for a new House of Justice hall on the lot with the GSIS old building, the eighth such ceremony. The "ground-breaking" was symbolic and did not signal the start of construction as bidding for the engineering, design and construction had not taken place yet. The demolition led to the passage of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 and other efforts to preserve historic buildings, which has had mixed results. The vacant lot behind
255-525: Was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California . Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washington program in Architecture in 1927 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree ( B.Arch. ). He moved to Los Angeles in 1933 and formed a partnership with his University of Washington classmate Walter Wurdeman and Angeleno architect Charles F. Plummer . Their first major commission
272-496: Was the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in 1935, which won them residential jobs from James Cagney , Robert Montgomery , and other film celebrities. Plummer died in 1939. The successor firm Wurdeman and Becket went on to design Bullock's Pasadena (1944) and a couple of corporate headquarters. Wurdeman and Becket developed the concept of "total design," whereby their firm would be responsible for master planning, engineering, interiors, furniture, fixtures, landscaping, signage, and even (in
289-550: Was then a craze in the city. The building was damaged during the Battle of Manila during World War II but was repaired. While the Sky Room became a venue of meetings and receptions during the Commonwealth and early years after Independence , the building had degenerated into a place of game-rigging, syndication and other forms of cheating. Several murders have been said to have occurred there, as disputes on gambling on
#618381