Arizona State University’s bold, community-focused project to preserve and restore the iconic Herald Examiner building in downtown Los Angeles has won a high honor for architectural excellence. The Los Angeles Business Council on Nov. 16 awarded ASU with its Grand Prize at the 53rd Annual Architectural Awards.

Renowned architect Julia Morgan designed the building in 1913 for the headquarters of the William Randolph Hearst-owned Examiner newspaper; she later went on to design the famous Hearst Castle upstate.

Decades after it was degrading and shuttered, the university began a $40 million preservation and restoration effort. The nearly 86,000-square-foot, five-level building now welcomes students and faculty from various disciplines, as well as visiting learners and stakeholders. Its soaring, ornate lobby once again dazzles visitors. 

“Not only does the building illuminate the city’s rich history dating back more than a century, but with a new vision, it now bridges that tradition with innovation, and enables us to help advance the downtown’s intellectual, cultural and economic vibrancy,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow.

In 2022-23, ASU enrolled 22,700 Californians as undergraduate and graduate students, both at in-person campuses and online. The university’s growing presence on the ground in southern California is an effort to assist with a great need for quality higher education options. ASU has committed to access and excellence within its Charter – a mission that transcends state boundaries.

The former Herald Examiner building is now called ASU California Center Broadway. In addition, the university has launched ASU FIDM as part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. The program is located in the Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising (FIDM) building, which is now known as ASU California Center Grand. ASU also initiated an affiliation to create California College of ASU, which formerly was Columbia College of Hollywood.

The latest award is not the restored building’s first; the Los Angeles Conservancy bestowed its Chair Award as part of its 2021 Preservation Awards.

Read more about ASU in California here.