Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who designed many buildings in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Biography

Becket was born in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

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 Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California. Biography Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washingt ...

and Angeleno architect

Charles F. Plummer Charles F. Plummer (1879–1939) was an American architect, known for his work in and around Los Angeles, California. Many of his works have been listed as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments (LAHCM), in the National Register of Historic P ...

. Their first major commission was the

Pan-Pacific Auditorium The Pan-Pacific Auditorium was a landmark structure in the Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California, Fairfax District of Los Angeles, California. It once stood near the site of Gilmore Field, an early Los Angeles baseball venue predating Dodger ...

in 1935, which won them residential jobs from

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

, Robert Montgomery, and other film celebrities. Plummer died in 1939. The successor firm Wurdeman and Becket went on to design

Bullock's Pasadena Bullock's Pasadena, in Pasadena, California, is a 240,000-square foot (21 368 m²) Late Moderne architecture, Late Moderne architectural style building. Built in 1947, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. History ...

(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 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 Ellerbe Becket was an independent Minneapolis, Minnesota-based architectural, engineering, interior design and construction firm until 2009, when it was acquired by AECOM. The firm currently employs 475 people in seven locations and three countr ...

until the end of 2009, when it was acquired by

AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...

. It is now known as Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM Company. Becket's buildings used unusual facade materials such as

ceramic tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or ot ...

and

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

grillwork, repetitive geometric patterns, and a heavy emphasis on walls clad in natural stone, particularly

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...

and

flagstone Flagstone (flag) is a generic flat Rock (geology), stone, sometimes cut in regular rectangular or square shape and usually used for Sidewalk, paving slabs or walkways, patios, flooring, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstone ...

. With

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

and the

United States Steel Corporation The United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...

, Becket's firm co-designed

Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Contemporary Resort, originally to be named Tempo Bay Hotel and previously the Contemporary Resort Hotel, is a resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Opened on October 1, 1971, the hotel is one of two ori ...

, which opened in 1971 at

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...

. 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 the ground, then lifted by crane and inserted into the frame; however, this sometimes took multiple tries. Welton Becket was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

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.

Commissions

Becket's extensive list of credits includes: *

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, CA, 1935 (with

) (destroyed by fire) * Jones Dog & Cat Hospital,

West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writing ...

, 1938 (with

) *

Manila Jai Alai Building 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 survive ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, Philippines, 1939 (with

) (demolished) *

General Petroleum Building The General Petroleum Building, also known as the Mobil Oil Building and the Pegasus Apartments, is a highrise building in the Modern architecture style located in Downtown Los Angeles. Design and construction Walter Wurdeman & Welton Becket we ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1949 (with

) *First National Bank of Arizona Building, Phoenix, AZ, 1950 *

Fifth Street Store Building The Fifth Street Store building, also known as Shybary Grand Lofts, is a historic eleven-story highrise located at 501-515 S. Broadway and 302-312 W. 5th Street in the Jewelry District and Broadway Theater District in the historic core of dow ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1952 renovation *Welton Becket Residence, Los Angeles, CA, 1952 *

Los Altos Center Los Altos Center is a regional shopping mall in the Los Altos area of northeastern Long Beach, California along Bellflower Boulevard, 4 miles south of Lakewood Center Mall and 5 miles east of Downtown Long Beach. History Launch (1953–1956) So ...

Mall, Long Beach, CA 1953 *

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as UCLA Medical Center, RRMC or Ronald Reagan) is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United S ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1953 *Baptist Memorial Hospital, Kansas City, MO, 1953 * Parker Center (formerly the ''Police Administration Building''), Los Angeles, CA, 1955 (demolished) *

The Broadway The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English-born Arthur Letts Sr., and named after what was once the city's main shopping street, the Broadway became a dominant reta ...

department store (now Walmart) at Panorama City Shopping Center,

Panorama City, Los Angeles Panorama City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. It has a generally young age range as well as the highest population density in the Valley. More than half of the neighborhood's population was b ...

, CA, 1955 *

The Beverly Hilton The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment ...

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

, CA, 1955 *

Orange County, at the original Anaheim Plaza, Anaheim, CA, 1955 (demolished) *

Capitol Records Building The Capitol Records Building, also known as the Capitol Records Tower, is a 13-story tower building in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Designed by Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket Associates, it is one of t ...

, Los Angeles, CA, Project Designer Lou Naidorf, 1956 * Edens Plaza,

Wilmette, Illinois Wilmette is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Bordering Lake Michigan, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Skokie, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston, Illinois, it is located north of Chicago's downtown district. Wilmette had a populatio ...

, 1956 * Park Central Mall, Phoenix, AZ, 1956 *

Ace Hotel Los Angeles The United Artists Theatre is a historic former movie palace and office building located at 937 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, California. It was the tallest building in the city for one year after its completion in 1927 and was the tal ...

(formerly the ''Texaco Building'') on Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 1957 *

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center at 1855 Main Street in Santa Monica, California, owned by the City of Santa Monica. It was built in 1958 and designed by Welton Becket and as a concert venue, it has a seating ca ...

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, CA, 1958 *

Hotel Tryp Habana Libre Hotel Tryp Habana Libre is one of the larger hotels in Cuba, situated in Vedado, Havana. The hotel has 572 rooms in a 25-floor tower at Calle 23 ("La Rampa") and Calle L. Opened in 1958 as the Habana Hilton, the hotel famously served as the resid ...

(formerly the ''Habana Hilton''),

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, 1958 *

The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' ...

(formerly the ''Nile Hilton''),

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, 1959 (with

Mahmoud Riad Mahmoud Riad (; January 8, 1917 – January 25, 1992) was an Egyptian diplomat. He was Egyptian ambassador to United Nations from 1962 to 1964, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1964 to 1972, and Secretary-General of the League of Arab ...

) *

Sheraton Dallas Hotel The Sheraton Dallas Hotel, formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel and originally the Southland Center, is a complex of International Style skyscrapers located in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas. The hotel is the largest and second t ...

(formerly the ''Adams Mark Dallas'' and ''Southland Center''),

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, TX, 1959 *

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1959 (demolished) *

Riviera Hotel and Casino The Riviera (colloquially, "the Riv") was a hotel and casino on the northern Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It opened on April 20, 1955, and included a nine-story hotel featuring 291 rooms. The Riviera was the first skyscraper in the Las ...

expansion, Las Vegas, NV, 1959 (demolished) *Los Angeles Customs House and Federal Office Building, Los Angeles, CA, 1960 (with Albert C. Martin and

Paul R. Williams Paul Revere Williams, FAIA (February 18, 1894 – January 23, 1980) was an American architect based in Los Angeles, California. Most of the buildings he designed were in Southern California and included the homes of numerous celebrities, s ...

) * 100 California Street, San Francisco, CA, 1960 *

Kaiser Center Kaiser Center, also called the Kaiser Building, is a 28-story office building located at 300 Lakeside Drive, adjacent to Lake Merritt, in downtown Oakland, California, designed by the architectural firm of Welton Becket & Associates of Los An ...

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

, CA, 1960 *Clark County Courthouse, Las Vegas, NV, 1961 (with Zick & Sharp) *

Grossmont Center Grossmont Center is an outdoor shopping mall in La Mesa, California, a suburb in East County, San Diego. The mall opened in 1961 and is managed by Federal Realty Investment Trust. The anchor stores are Target, Macy's, RH Outlet, Walmart, Barnes ...

, La Mesa, CA, 1961 * Christown Mall, Phoenix, AZ, 1961 *Robert McCulloch Residence, Palm Springs, CA, 1962 *

Petersen Automotive Museum The Petersen Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest collections, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organiza ...

(formerly a Seibu and Ohrbach's department store), Los Angeles, CA, 1962 *

Walt Whitman Shops Walt Whitman Shops (formerly known as Walt Whitman Mall) is a shopping mall in Huntington Station, New York, on Long Island. The mall features the traditional retailers Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The mall is named for the po ...

, Huntington Station, NY, 1962 *

Southern Cross Hotel The Southern Cross Hotel was a hotel in Melbourne, Australia. It was opened by the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, on 24 August 1962 as Australia's first modern 'International' hotel, heralding the arrival of American-style glamour, the jet-set ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, 1962 (demolished 2003) *Interiors of the new Los Angeles International Airport, 1962 *McCulloch Building (now ''Homewood Suites by Hilton LAX'') Los Angeles, CA, 1962 *

Airport Marina Hotel The Airport Marina Hotel was an 800-room, first-class hotel located at the 8601 Lincoln Boulevard at the southwest corner of Manchester Avenue, in Westchester, Los Angeles, near Los Angeles International Airport. Its architect was Welton Beck ...

Westchester, Los Angeles Westchester is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles and the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is home to Los Angeles International Airport, Loyola Marymount University, Otis College of Art and Design ...

, 1961-2 (now Hotel June) *Security First National Bank, Los Angeles, CA, 1963 (demolished) *

U.S. Embassy The United States has the second largest number of active diplomatic posts of any country in the world after the People's Republic of China, including 272 bilateral posts (embassies and consulates) in 174 countries, as well as 11 permanent miss ...

, Warsaw, Poland, 1963 *

Cinerama Dome The Cinerama Dome is a movie theater located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed to exhibit widescreen Cinerama films, it opened November 7, 1963. The original developer was William R. Forman, founder of Pacific Theatr ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1963 *

Century City Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Los Angeles, Cent ...

(masterplan), Los Angeles, CA, 1963 *

Gateway West Building Gateway West Building was a skyscraper in Century City, Los Angeles, California. Location The Gateway West Building is located on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and the Avenue of the Stars in Century City, a district in the city ...

, Century City, Los Angeles, CA, 1963 *

Biltmore Fashion Park The Biltmore Fashion Park is an outdoor retail and dining mall located in the Biltmore District of Phoenix, Arizona, along East Camelback Rd. The Biltmore Fashion Park, as well as the surrounding business and residential district, is named afte ...

, Phoenix, AZ, 1963 * Hartford National Bank, Hartford, CT 1963 *

ExxonMobil Building The ExxonMobil Building (also known as Exxon Tower, and formerly as Humble Oil Building) at 800 Bell Street in Houston, Texas is a 45-story, skyscraper built in 1963, designed by Welton Becket & Associates. The building is known for its “fins ...

(formerly Humble Oil Building) Houston, TX, 1963 *

McCarran International Airport Harry Reid International Airport , formerly known as McCarran International Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located south of downtown Las Vega ...

, Las Vegas, NV, 1963 * Orange Civic Center, Orange, CA, 1963 *

Westfield Century City Westfield Century City is an outdoor shopping mall in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It has of gross leasable area and is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Nordstrom. The mall has been owned by Westfield-affi ...

(formally Century City Mall) Century City, Los Angeles, CA, 1964 *

Phillips Petroleum Building Phillips may refer to: Businesses Energy * Chevron Phillips Chemical, American petrochemical firm jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and Phillips 66. * ConocoPhillips, American energy company * Phillips 66, American energy company * Philli ...

, Bartlesville, OK, 1964 *

Federal Building A federal building is a building housing local offices of various government departments and agencies in countries with a federal system, especially when the central government is referred to as the "federal government A federation (als ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1964 *North American Aviation Building, Los Angeles, 1964 *

Los Angeles Music Center The Los Angeles Music Center (officially the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County) is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Located in downtown Los Angeles, The Music Center is composed of the Dorothy Chandler Pa ...

(officially the ''Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County''), which includes

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighborin ...

and

Ahmanson Theater The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. Shows at this theater are produced by Center Theatre Group. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the fo ...

, Los Angeles, CA, 1964 * Ford Pavilion of the

1964 New York World's Fair The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activ ...

, New York City, NY, 1964 (demolished) *

General Electric Pavilion A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Mar ...

of the 1964 New York World's Fair, New York City, NY, 1964 (demolished) *Mutual Savings and Loan Building, Pasadena, CA, 1964 *

Pauley Pavilion Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. Th ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

(officially the ''Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion''), Los Angeles, CA, 1965 *Airport Center Building (now ''Hyatt Place LAX / Century Blvd'') Los Angeles, CA, 1965 *Santa Monica Shores Apartments, Santa Monica CA, 1967 *

Gulf Life Tower The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida and was the defining landmark in Jacksonvi ...

(now known as the ''Riverplace Tower''), Jacksonville, FL, 1967 *

Xerox Tower Innovation Square, formerly Xerox Tower, is a skyscraper in downtown Rochester, New York, standing at tall. The tower is the centerpiece of a roughly complex named ''Xerox Square''. When it was built in 1967, it was the tallest building made of ...

, Rochester, New York, 1967 *

Fashion Island Fashion Island is an outdoor regional shopping mall in Newport Beach, California. Opened in 1967 by The Irvine Company as the anchor to their master-planned Newport Center district, Fashion Island is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman ...

, Newport Beach, CA, 1967 (with

William Pereira William Leonard Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, who was noted for his Futurist architecture#Post-modern futurism, futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamer ...

) * 5900 Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA, 1968 (with William Pereira) *

La Habra Fashion Square La Habra Marketplace, formerly La Habra Fashion Square, is an open-air regional mall in La Habra, California, built by the Bullock's department store chain. Welton Becket and Associates were the architects. It was the last and largest of the "Fa ...

, La Habra, CA, 1968 (Welton Becket and Associates) *

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

, Pomona, CA, Project Designer Marvin Taff, 1969 * Equitable Life Building, Los Angeles, 1969 *

McKesson Plaza One Post Street is a 38-story, office skyscraper located at 1 Post Street and Market Street (San Francisco), Market Street in the Financial District (San Francisco), Financial District of San Francisco, California, United States. The building ...

, San Francisco, CA, 1969 *

One California One California is a , 32-story office skyscraper completed in 1969 in the Financial District of San Francisco, California. It is the 31st-tallest building in the city. The architect of the building was Welton Becket Associates. History The b ...

, San Francisco, CA, 1969 *Park Plaza Shopping Center, Oshkosh, WI, 1969 * 800 Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA, 1970 * Park Plaza Mall,

Oshkosh, WI Oshkosh () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 66,816 as of the 2020 census, making it the ninth-most populous city in Wi ...

, 1970, now

City Center A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...

a commercial business center for Oshkosh. *

PNC Plaza PNC Plaza may refer to one of several skyscrapers in the United States that have held large offices of the PNC Financial Services company: * 500 West Jefferson, a 31-story skyscraper in Louisville, Kentucky * Tower at PNC Plaza, a 33-story skyscr ...

(formerly the ''Citizens Fidelity Plaza''),

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

, KY, 1971 *

Beverly Wilshire Hotel The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, commonly known as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, is a historic luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, it was completed in 1928. It ha ...

expansion, Beverly Hills, CA, 1971 *

Lake Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada * Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” * Buena Vista, Saskatchewan * Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood ...

, FL, 1971 * Worcester Center,

Worcester, MA Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

, 1971 *33 Washington Street,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, 1971 * Chase Tower (formerly the ''Bank One Center'' and ''Valley Bank Center''), Phoenix, AZ, Project Designer

MacDonald Becket MacDonald George Becket (November 2, 1928 - December 7, 2017) was an American architect. He was the president, and later chairman and CEO of Welton Becket and Associates, an architectural firm in Los Angeles, California. He helped master plan Cent ...

, 1972 *

Grand Ole Opry House The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

, Nashville, TN, 1972 *

Hyatt Regency Hyatt Regency is a brand of hotels under the Hyatt banner. The brand contains 211 locations in 189 cities over 40 countries, and is one of the company's 14 hotel brands overall. It tends to cater to business travelers. Locations Locations inc ...

, Knoxville, TN, 1972 *

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, on Long Island. The venue is situated approximately east of the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City, a ...

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...

, 1972 *

One Market Plaza One Market Plaza is a complex of three office buildings at 1 Market Street along the San Francisco Embarcadero. The historic 11-story Southern Pacific Building, also known as "The Landmark", was completed in 1916, and incorporated into the ...

, San Francisco, CA, 1972 *

Union Bank Building The Union Bank Building ( the Union Bank Tower or Former Union Bank Building and Annex), located in the Exchange District of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the first skyscraper in Canada, once forming the northern end of Main Street's prestigious Bank ...

, San Francisco, CA, 1972 * One PNC Plaza, Pittsburgh, PA, 1972 * Regions Center (formerly the ''AmSouth Center'', ''AmSouth-Sonat Tower'', and ''First National-Southern Natural Building''),

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, AL, 1972 * Brady Sullivan Plaza, ''(formerly Hampshire Plaza),'' Manchester, N.H., 1973 * Glendale Central Library, Glendale, CA, Project Designer, Marvin Taff, 1973 *Chase Plaza, Lexington, KY, 1973 *

100 Summer Street 100 Summer Street is a high-rise building located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The building stands at with 32 floors, over 1.03 million square feet (over 92,000 m2) of office space, and was completed in 1974. It is ranked 31st on the ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, MA, 1974 *United Plaza, Philadelphia, PA, 1974 *

Hyatt Regency New Orleans The Hyatt Regency New Orleans is a 32-story, 361-foot (110 m) hotel located at 601 Loyola Ave in the Central Business District, New Orleans, Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, US, opened in 1976. It has 1,193 guest rooms, includ ...

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, LA, 1976 *Intourist Hotel, Moscow, Russia, 1976 *

Reunion Tower Reunion Tower is a observation tower in Dallas, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The tower is located at 300 Reunion Boulevard in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, which is named after the mid-nineteenth century commune ...

, Dallas, TX, 1978 *

Hyatt Regency Hotel Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vac ...

, Dallas, TX, 1978 *Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D. C. 1978 *Hyatt Regency Hotel, Louisville, KY, 1978 *

US Bank Plaza US or Us most often refers to: * ''Us'' (pronoun), the objective case of the English first-person plural pronoun ''we'' * US, an abbreviation for the United States US, U.S., Us, us, or u.s. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Albums * ...

, Boise, ID, 1978 * BNY Mellon Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 1980 *

One Tampa City Center One Tampa City Center, formerly known as GTE Center and Verizon Building, is an office skyscraper in Tampa, Florida. It was the tallest building in the state for three years and the tallest building in the city until the completion of the Bank ...

(formerly the GTE Building) Tampa, FL, 1981 *Stanton Tower, El Paso, TX, 1981 * Wells Fargo Plaza, San Diego, CA, 1983 *OneOK Plaza ''(commissioned as never-occupied headquarters of

Cities Service Company Citgo Petroleum Corporation, or Citgo (stylized as CITGO), is a United States–based refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. Headquartered in the Energy Corridor area ...

)'', Tulsa, OK, 1984 (with

HKS, Inc. HKS, Inc. is an American international architecture firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas (US). History The firm was founded in 1939 by Harwood K. Smith. In 2002, HKS expanded its international presence by opening HKS Arquitectos in Mexi ...

) * First Bank and Trust Tower, New Orleans, LA, 1987 *Skyview Center, Los Angeles, CA, 1987

References

External links

Oral history — Perkins quote (pg. 75)Bigfloridacountry.com: Video clip of construction of the Contemporary Resort
* MacDonald Becket papers, Welton Becket and Associates, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession No. 2012.M.43 * Welton Becket architectural drawings and photographs, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession No. 2010.M.83 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Becket, Welton Architects from Los Angeles Modernist architects from the United States Fellows of the American Institute of Architects 1902 births 1969 deaths Architects from Seattle University of Washington College of Built Environments alumni 20th-century American architects