Venerable Venues: The Hollywood Bowl

No Los Angeles performance venue is more iconic than the Hollywood Bowl. From Frank Sinatra to Kanye West, and everyone in between, the list of past performers reads as a roster of the music industry's most elite. My first time at the Bowl was to see the 808's and Heartbreaks show by Kanye. That show exposed me to how beautiful the Bowl structure is and how expertly designed it is for live music.

The Bowl has gone through many architectural transformations since its founding in 1919. Originally, the hillside was dotted with makeshift bench seating to watch performances that took place at the bottom of the knoll. In the 1920s, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a series of structures that were meant for temporary use as stages. These were the first examples of the "Shell" that became an integral part of the venue's design. In 1929, Allied Architects designed a domelike shell made of metal and asbestos based cement. The style of the shell became a standard in contemporary amphitheater design and is now synonymous with the venue. The Shell's sordid architectural past eventually led to its replacement in 2003. The new upgraded shell is made of concentric half-dome pieces that mimic the design of the shell's of 1926, 1928 and 1929. This ode to all of the past designs helped to appease many who were against the dismantling of the 1929 version and improved the deteriorating acoustics of the Bowl.

Original 1929 Shell Design circa 1929, courtesy of The Hollywood Bowl Museum Archive

The Bowl is just as impressive when it is empty as it is when you're three beers deep singing in the middle of a show. As I said before, the acoustics of the amphitheater are astonishing. With a sound system that allows every listener to hear the performance at the same volume no matter where they are seated, the Bowl aims to please everyone, not just the people who paid $400 for garden level seats.

What has always stood out about the design of the space is its placement in such an iconic location. The Bowl is a short walk up Highland Avenue from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it looks out over the Hollywood Hills, and looks directly at the Hollywood Sign: everything about the venue screams Hollywood in the best way. Seeing a show here is never stressful. You walk in and out with ease and relax as you drink, eat, and sing along in all your tone deaf glory. Form and function perfectly intertwine to create a venue that is visually stunning and a relaxing place to see your favorite band.

If you haven't been to the Bowl, do yourself a favor and buy tickets. Their next big show is Tropical House DJ, Kygo, on October 15th (my birthday.) Snag some tickets and enjoy the music, the view, and the beautiful surroundings.

Hollywood Sign over the Hollywood Bowl, what could be better?