Modernist architect Gin D. Wong, who helped found William L. Pereira & Associates and whose high-profile work included both LACMA and LAX, passed away earlier this month at the age of 94, reported the Los Angeles Times:
Gin D. Wong, a visionary architect whose iconic works have helped shaped the look of Los Angeles for more than half a century, has died at 94.
Wong died Sept. 1 at his Beverly Hills home, according to a statement from USC, where he had served on the board of trustees for more than 30 years.
Wong’s most notable projects include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles International Airport and the often-photographed Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills.
The latter, with its sweeping canopy, more resembles an alien spaceship than a refueling stop. The Los Angeles Conservancy described it as “a true icon of Mid-Century Modernism, recognized everywhere as one of the highest examples of Googie architecture in the world.”
Wong’s other projects included the CBS Television City complex and such high-rises as the USC Tower at South Park Center, formerly the AT&T Center, and the 33-story downtown building formerly known as the Arco Tower.
Pereira was a professor of Wong’s at USC, where Wong earned his architecture degree. Wong founded his own company, Gin Wong Associates, in 1973.
