Danish architect Christian Bay-Jorgensen wants to make it happen. Here’s the scoop: About two years ago the land that the famous Hollywood sign sits on went up for sale about two years ago. The non-profit Trust for Public Land is trying to save up enough money to buy the land and save it from being sold to real estate developers. I understand where the sign supporters are coming from; as Bay-Jorgensen puts it, “I know people are scared. I know they are afraid this idea will turn it into Disneyland.” However, it’s no secret that the Hollywood sign isn’t at all what it’s cracked up to be. It’s old, tiny, and has simply lost its shine since it was introduced in the 1920s. It’s time for a change, and turning the sign into a bigger and more expansive hotel is an intriguing possibility. If given the opportunity, Bay-Jorgensen would turn it into a boutique hotel, doubling the size of the sign. He explains: “…when tourists from other countries come to see the sign, they imagine a majestic structure. Instead, they see plywood and white paint. This area should be more public. I think this could be something that could improve the experience of the LA resident, to let them see the sign in a new way.” I couldn’t agree more.
The sign supporters have been given a 16 day extension to come up with $12.5 million to preserve the land. If the deadline comes around and they can’t cough up the money, it’s likely we might see Hollywood Sign 2.0, hotel edition sometime in the near future. Check out some conceptual images of the hotel in the gallery below.
Update: The Hollywood Sign has been “saved” according to the latest reports. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner donated $900,000 to the non-profit trust that just tried their darndest to keep the sign as it is. And with that huge chunk o’ money, the $12.5 million total was reached. And any dreams of a hotel have been crushed. [Via Stuff.co.nz]
[Via DailyNews; Slashfilm; LATimesBlog; Gizmodo]
