Becket, Welton D., and Associates, Architects (Partnership)

click to open gallery Aerial view of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, c. 2018; from Google Maps/Street View
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Partners: network

MacDonald G. Becket, Welton David Becket, Wallace V. Cunneen Jr., George Johann Hasslein, Fred Sami Hassouna, John Coleman Knight, Louis Naidorf, Marvin Rand, Norma Merrick Sklarek, Marvin Leon Taff, Robert Tyler, Walter Charles Wurdeman, Guy Zebert

Active 1949-

Firm Notes

The firm of Welton D. Becket and Associates succeeded the firm of Wurdeman and Becket (1939-1949); it was continued by "Welton Becket Associates," 1970-1988, following Welton Becket's death in 1969. Offices were established in Los Angeles, CA, (1933), San Francisco, CA, (1949), New York, NY, (1950), and Houston, TX, (1960).

In 1973, Welton Becket and Associates purchased the New York structural engineering firm of A.A. Adalian. (See "Notices," Progressive Architecture, vol. LIV, no.3, 03/1973. p. 138.)

In the 1980s, the Welton Becket Office was sometimes referred to as the "Becket Group, Architects." The primary name it went by in the professional literature was "Welton Becket Associates," not "Welton D. Becket and Associates."

In 1988, Welton Becket Associates joined with Ellerbe Associates of Minneapolis, to form "Ellerbe Becket." Franklin Ellerbe founded this MN firm in 1909. At this merger, Ellerbe took control of Becket, and the headquarters moved to Minneapolis. Ellerbe Becket's initial six offices were located in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, and Tampa, FL.

PCAD id: 29

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Buildings and other works

NameDateCityState
1st and Merchants National Bank, Richmond, VARichmondVA
400 South Hope Street Office Building, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1982Los AngelesCA
500 Jefferson Avenue Office Building, Houston, TX1963HoustonCA
800 Wilshire Boulevard Building, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1970-1972Los AngelesCA
Aetna Life and Casualty Company, Office Building, 600 Market Street, San Francisco, CA1969San FranciscoCA
Airways Hotel, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1963Los AngelesCA
Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, Office and Recreation Building, Orange, CA1954OrangeCA
Avco Financial Center, Newport Center, Newport Beach, CA1970-1971Newport BeachCA
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Pacific Coast Division, Headquarters Building, Financial District, San Francisco, CA1958-1959San FranciscoCA
Beverly Center, Los Angeles, CA1982Los AngelesCA
Beverly-Wilshire Apartment Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA1926-1928Beverly HillsCA
Bullock's Westwood Department Store #2, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1950-1951Los AngelesCA
Capitol Records Building, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Centinela Valley Community Hospital, Inglewood, CA1961InglewoodCA
Century City Master Plan, Century City, Los Angeles, CA1963Los AngelesCA
Cinerama Dome Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA1962-1963Los AngelesCA
City of Glendale, Public Library, Central Library, Downtown, Glendale, CA1973GlendaleCA
City of Los Angeles, Police Department (LAPD), Police Administration Building (PAB) #1, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1952-1955Los AngelesCA
City of New York, Department of Education, New Queens High School, Queens, New York, NYNew YorkNY
City of Santa Monica, Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA1956-1958Santa MonicaCA
Colorado Place, Santa Monica, CA1981-1984Santa MonicaCA
County of Los Angeles, Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre, Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, CA1966-1967Los AngelesCA
County of Los Angeles, Music Center, Chandler, Dorothy, Pavilion, Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, CA1964-1967Los AngelesCA
County of Los Angeles, Music Center, Taper, Mark, Forum, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1966-1967Los AngelesCA
Cullen Center, Master Plan, Houston, TX1962HoustonTX
Decker Square Office Buildings and Department Store, Bala Cynwyd, PA1968Bala CynwydPA
Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Office Building, Los Angeles, CA1967-1969Los AngelesCA
Factoria Shopping Center, Factoria, WABellevueWA
Fluor Corporation, Headquarters Building, Irvine, CA1977-1981IrvineCA
Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, Beijing, People's Republic of ChinaBeijing
Greyhound Corporation, Greyhound Lines, Incorporated, Bus Terminal, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1966-1967Los AngelesCA
Hampshire Plaza, Manchester, NHManchesterNH
Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Headquarters Building, Downtown, Hartford, CT1964-1987HartfordCT
Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo, CA1954San MateoCA
Hilton Hotels, International, Incorporated, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA 1953-1955Beverly HillsCA
Humble Oil and Refining Company, Headquarters Building, Downtown, Houston, TX1963HoustonTX
Hyatt Corporation, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dallas, TXDallasTX
KTVU Channel 2 Television Studio, Oakland, CAOaklandCA
Kaiser Industries, Kaiser Center I, Downtown, Oakland, CA1959-1960OaklandCA
Lakewood Shopping Center, Bullock's Department Store, Lakewood, CA1964-1965LakewoodCA
Lever Brothers Soap Company, Office Building, City of Commerce, CA1951City of CommerceCA
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA1958-1959Los AngelesCA
Magnin, I., Department Store #2, Seattle, WA1953-1954SeattleWA
Marina del Rey Hotel, Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, CA1963Los AngelesCA
Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, Office Building, San Francisco, CA1969San FranciscoCA
Nile Hilton, Cairo, Egypt1959Cairo
North American Rockwell Corporation, Office Building, El Segundo, CAEl SegundoCA
Northrop Corporation, Office Building #1, Century City, Los Angeles, CA1982-1983Los AngelesCA
Northrop Corporation, Office Building #2, Century City, Los Angeles, CA1982-1983Los AngelesCA
Park Plaza Shopping Mall, Oshkosh, WI1970OshkoshWI
Pierce National Life Building, Los Angeles, CA1968-1970Los AngelesCA
Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Standard Oil Company of California, Gas Station, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1961Los AngelesCA
Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Theme and Arch Building, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1957-1961Los AngelesCA
Public Beach Resort, Linda Isle, Newport Harbor, CA
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco International Airport Master Plan, 1959, San Francisco, CA1959San FranciscoCA
Security Pacific National Bank (SPNB), Tower and Branch, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1967Los AngelesCA
Seibu Department Stores, Department Store, Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA 1960-1961Los AngelesCA
Shell Oil Company, Information Center Project, Houston, TXHoustonTX
Sheraton Hotel, Tehran, IranTehran
Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, Bullock's Fashion Square, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA1961-1962Los AngelesCA
Southern Cross Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1962MelbourneVictoria
Standard Federal Savings and Loan Association, Los Angeles, CA1953Los AngelesCA
Tishman Office Building, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1971Los AngelesCA
Tradewell Supermarket, Burien, WA1956BurienWA
United States Army (USA), Beaumont, William, Army Medical Center, El Paso, TX1969-1972El PasoTX
United States Government, Department of Justice, Edward R. Roybal Center, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1990-1992Los AngelesCA
United States Government, Department of State, Embassy, Warsaw, Poland1963Warsaw
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Ackerman Student Union, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1959-1960Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Acosta Training Center, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1965-1967Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Campus Plans, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1948-1968Westwood, Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Humanities Building Project, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1953Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Pauley Pavilion, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1965Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Schoenberg Music Building, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1954-1955Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Sproul, Robert and Ida, Hall, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1959-1964Los AngelesCA
WED Enterprises, Disneyland, Carousel Theatre, Anaheim, CA1967AnaheimCA
Walt Disney World, Polynesian Village Hotel, Orlando, FLOrlandoFL
Webb's, Del, International Airport Center, McCulloch Center, Los Angeles, CA1962-1964Los AngelesCA
Webb's, Del, International Airport Center, McCulloch Center, Security 1st National Bank, Branch, Los Angeles, CA1962Los AngelesCA
Webb's, Del, International Airport Center, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA
White Plains Mall, White Plains, NYWhite PlainsNY
Whitehall Hotel, Houston, TX1963HoustonTX
Worcester Center, Worcester, MAWorcesterMA
Xerox Square, Downtown, Rochester, NY1966-1968RochesterNY

Publications

Acier Stahl Steel, 27: 48, 1962. "Advertisement for Delany Flush Valves, made by the Coyne and Delany Company of Brooklyn, NY.", Air Conditioning, Heating and Ventilating, 11, 1959-09. Ochnsner, Jeffrey Karl, "Forgotten But Not Gone: Burien's Tradewell Store", Arcade, 14-15, Winter 2019. "Los Angeles Police Department, Parker Center 05/1956", Architect and Engineer, 8-13, 1956-05. "Police facilities building, Los Angeles, California", Architect and Engineer, 193: 7-9, 1953-05. "Carlisle Tire and Rubber Division Advertisement", Architectural Forum, 130: 4, 16, 1969-05. "Libbey-Owens-Ford Company advertisement for Thermopane glass", Architectural Forum, 138: 5, 8-9, 1973-06. "News", Architectural Forum, 100: 1, 45, 1954-01. "Executone sound chosen by all 17 airlines at new Los Angeles International Airport", Architectural Forum, 14-15, 07/1962. "New Airport Design, in the U.S. and Abroad", Architectural Forum, 117: 81, 07/1962. "Hotels, Bank, Offices Fringe L.A. Airport", Architectural Record, 133: 2, 32-4, 02/1963. "Water Sports Are Most Popular of All", Architectural Record, 115: 1, 165, 01/1954. "Hotels, Bank, Offices Fringe L.A. Airport", Architectural Record, 133: 2, 32-4, 02/1963. "Hotels, Bank, Offices Fringe L.A. Airport", Architectural Record, 133: 2, 32-4, 02/1963. "Hotels, Bank, Offices Fringe L.A. Airport", Architectural Record, 133: 2, 32-4, 02/1963. "High-Fashion Store with Split-Level Massing", Architectural Record, 137: 5, 194-197, 05/1965. "10 examples of effective architect-engineer collaboration", Architectural Record, 162: 3, 61-124, Mid 08/1977. "Perspectives", Architectural Record, 122: 6, 9, 12/1957. "The Record Reports", Architectural Record, 122: 6, 260, 12/1957. "Bullock's store, Westwood Village, Los Angeles", Architectural Record, 12, 1951-10. "Sparkling showcase for Fluor Corporation", Architectural Record, 164: 1, 103-108, 07/1978. Woodbridge, Sally B., Woodbridge, John B., Architecture San Francisco: The Guide, 21, 1982. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, "Hillsdale Shopping Center", Architecture in San Francisco and Northern California, 135-136, 1985. "Los Angeles Police Department, Parker Center 07/1956", Arts and Architecture, 73: 12-13, 1956-07. Morris, Edward Bateman, Century of AIA, 38, 1957. Morris, Edward Bateman, Century of AIA, 41, 1957. Koenig, Gloria, "Book Look Iconic LA: Stories of LA's Most Memorable Buildings", Echoes, 36, 88, 05/2001. Fox, Stephen, Houston Architectural Guide, 28, 1990. Fox, Stephen, Houston Architectural Guide, 27, 1990. Fox, Stephen, Houston Architectural Guide, 29, 1990. Saylor, Henry H., "Editor's Asides", Journal of the American Institute of Architects, 7: 4, 206, 04/1947. "New Pittco T-Wall Thermal Framing System Advertisement", Journal of the American Institute of Architects, 46: 1, 71, 07/1966. Newman, Morris, "The new cop on the block: police stations that embrace public lif", L.A. architect, 24-29, 2004-07/08. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 116, 117, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, "Parker Center", Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 248, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 115, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 244-245, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 134, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 29, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 144, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 262, 1994. Mandell, Jason, "Ratkovich returns", Los Angeles Downtown News, 1, 9, 2003-03-08. Kaplan, Sam Hall, "Urban Developers Study the Ins and Outs", Los Angeles Times, D1, 10/10/1987. "Aetna Life and Casualty Building San Francisco", Los Angeles Times, Real Estate Section: 8/17/1969. McGreevy, Patrick, Garvey, Megan, "Parker Center's Future at Issue", Los Angeles Times, B3, 2002-11-27. "Architectural Firms Disclose Merger Plans", Los Angeles Times, G12, 1987-08-09. Haines, Doug, "Fighting to preserve the Cinerama Dome", Los Angeles Times, B1, B3, 06/08/1998. "Equitable Life Tower Notice 1967", Los Angeles Times, 07/09/1967. "Tishman Building, Westwood, Los Angeles", Los Angeles Times, sect K: 1, 8/9/1970. Vincent, Roger, "Computer Entrepreneur to Acquire Beverly Hilton", Los Angeles Times, C1, C11, 12/5/2003. "First Phase Completed at $50 Million Center", Los Angeles Times, I34, 04/12/1964. "$50 Million Airport Center Planned", Los Angeles Times, C1, 12/31/1961. "Equitable Life Tower Notice 1968", Los Angeles Times, 8, 06/30/1968. "Notice of plans for Equitable Life Insurance Building, Los Angeles, 1966", Los Angeles Times, 04/21/1966. Mid-Century Architecture in America, 41, 1961. "Bullock's Inc. Department Store, Westwood Village, Los Angeles", National Architect, 6: 1, 1950-02. Redstone, Louis G., New Downtowns, 86-88, 1976. Redstone, Louis G., New Downtowns, 89-91, 1976. Fowler, Glenn, "Imaginative Use of Steel Wins Building Design Awards", New York Times, 269, 06/03/1962. "Fabulous is word for the Beverly-Hilton", Pacific Architect and Builder, 61: 6, 9, 06/1955. "Project Review", Pacific Architect and Builder, 64: 3, 5, 1958-03. "Luxurious setting for quality apparel", Pacific Architect and Builder, 61: 9, 14, 1955-09. "The Finishing Touch that Assures Client Approval (Hillyard Floor Treatments advertisement)", Progressive Architecture, 39: 1, 12, 1958-01. "Police headquarters, Los Angeles, Calif.", Progressive Architecture, 37: 108-111, 1956-03. "High-rise office buildings", Progressive Architecture, 38: 1957-06. "P/A Annual Design Survey for 1954 and first Design Awards Program Education", Progressive Architecture, XXXV: 1, 92, 01/1954. Honnold, Douglas, Southern California Architecture 1769-1956, 65, 1956. Honnold, Douglas, Southern California Architecture 1769-1956, 64, 1956. Hunt, William Dudley, Total Design: Architecture of Welton Becket and Associates, 140, 1972. Hunt, William Dudley, Total Design: Architecture of Welton Becket and Associates, 1972. Hunt, William Dudley, Total Design: Architecture of Welton Becket and Associates, 137, 1972. Gunn, Clare S., Vacationscape Designing Tourist Regions, 157, 1988. Gunn, Clare S., Vacationscape Designing Tourist Regions, 162, 1988.

Exhibitions

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