Diane Keaton and the history of Los Angeles architecture – 10/12/2025 – Illustrated

Known for roles in “Neurotic Groom, Nervous Bride” and “The Godfather”, actress Diane Keaton, who died this Saturday (11), also became known for her work to preserve the history of Los Angeles.

The American artist, born in California, served on the board of the LA Conservancy, an organization dedicated to preserving the city’s architectural and cultural heritage, for almost two decades. Keaton participated in campaigns aimed at preserving historic homes and buildings.

His involvement began with his personal interest in old residences — including one designed by the architect Lloyd Wright, where he eventually lived. The approach to the Conservancy happened when the actress was enchanted by a Spanish house belonging to one of the organization’s members. Shortly afterwards, he began to actively collaborate with the group, presenting lectures at charity events and, later, becoming part of the board.

In February 2006, Keaton paid his last respects at the historic Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the HMS Bounty bar in Koreatown. Despite the efforts of the LA Conservancy, the Ambassador had been demolished. The actress was one of the speakers denouncing the fate of the institution. Around a hundred people were at the hotel’s farewell party.

In her speech, the American stated she was disappointed with the situation. “I would like to join everyone at the Conservancy in expressing my deep regret that our effort to save the Ambassador Hotel was lost to a confused public who could do nothing but shrug their shoulders in apathy,” she said.

“It was like losing a lover. That’s what I felt. When I looked away, I swear to you, I thought I heard an echo. Maybe it was the Ambassador himself calling me, as if to say: ‘Goodbye, Diane, keep me in your heart, and next time, try harder’. I will fight as hard as I can — for all the other ‘Ambassadors’ who still wait, in silence and fear, for the blow of the axe.”

Designed by Myron Hunt and opened in 1921, the Ambassador Hotel became a symbol of Los Angeles glamor and hosted celebrities and American presidents. The Cocoanut Grove nightclub, created in collaboration with architect Paul Williams, consolidated its fame.

The establishment went into decline after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy there, in June 1968, and was closed in 1989. After that, it became a location for filming films and TV. The building was purchased by the school district in 2001 and demolished four years later, despite efforts by the LA Conservancy to preserve it. Today, the land is home to the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools.

A few years after leaving the Ambassador Hotel, in 2008, Keaton wrote about the situation and the lessons he learned in an editorial in the Los Angeles Times. “We treat old buildings like we used to treat plastic shopping bags: we don’t reuse them, and when we’re done using them, we throw them away. This needs to stop. Preservation must stand alongside conservation as an equal force in the sustainability game. More old and historic buildings need to be protected from demolition, not just because it hurts our pocketbooks, but more importantly because it threatens the environment. Let’s face it, our ride to at the expense of the planet, it’s over”, he highlighted.

“I will never understand why architecture is considered a second cousin to painting and film. We have never been married to our love affair with architecture. A building, unlike a screen or a DVD, is an enormous work of art with many diverse uses,” she said.

Among other projects, Keaton also celebrated the preservation and restoration of Ennis House, a 1920s residence designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The home suffered structural damage from the 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake and heavy rains in 2005.

According to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the actress “appealed to the Hollywood community, which has benefited so much from the use of the Ennis House in films, to help save it in this time of need.” The house was purchased and fully restored in 2011.

Keaton also became involved with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.