Big Blue ?
- Thread starter Lohan2008
- Start date
Iknowtoomuch
Gold Meritorious Patron
Barf blue. Are you going to picket the color?
ChuckNorrisCutsMyLawn
Crusader
Government Surplus Blue
Smurf
Gold Meritorious SP
Big Blue is a light aqua blue color and it is not painted. It is stained. The reason being is that part of Los Angeles is the epicenter of so much pollution, the Big Blue gets covered in dirt & grime. It's cheaper of them to put stain on the building than paint.
Problem is... they recently touched up the building with blue stain and instead of washing off the dirt first, they put the stain on it as is, and it is clearly recognizable what they did. It's nasty looking.
When you say LACC, I presume you mean the Celebrity Centre in LA? No, it is not the same color. It's an off-white color in some place and peach colored in others.
Iknowtoomuch
Gold Meritorious Patron
The big blue building is big blue....come on now.
Kookaburra
Gold Meritorious Patron
He's never set foot in the USA....so come on now.
Celebrity Centre is a Class V org for celebrities in Los Angeles. It is in a beautiful old chateau that was imported brick by brick from France.
Big Blue is the old Sinai Cedars Hospital. It covers a city block and a half. It is built so solidly it is virtually impossible to demolish, hence the Co$ got it relatively cheap, about 3 million in the 70s, if I recall. At the time, all the Pac orgs except CC were moved into it, that's ASHO, AOLA, LAD, and CLO WUS. Plus berthing. Then Flag Command Bureau was moved there from Flag. It also houses Pubs and CMO Pac. FCB and ITO was moved out to another building on Hollywood Blvd around 1990, the Hollywood Guaranty Bldg or something like that, HGB for short.
So there are three major locations to picket in LA proper, more orgs in the urban sprawl.
Dulloldfart
Squirrel Extraordinaire
That's true. While on the RPF in 1996 we had to demolish an internal wall down in some basement near to CF, and one of the (literal) morgues. It wasn't even a load-bearing wall. The unit I was in threw up lots of non-load-bearing walls while renoing ASHO, and they consist of stud-and-track thin aluminium uprights every foot or so (I forget the exact distances) with sheetrock plasterboard screwed on top, and a lot of air in the middle. They do the job but are real flimsy.
But these old walls, man! Lots of METAL in them. Solid steel metal. What I remember is lots of rebar-type rusty iron rods from floor to ceiling, with heavy metal mesh wired to them, with the plaster layered onto the mesh. No-one's just going to walk through one of those walls. They were a REAL hassle to take apart.
Paul
2 things (and correct me if I am wrong)
1. The Château Élysée (Celebrity Centre Int) was built by Eleanor Ince, (widow of Thomas H. Ince) and designed by Arthur E. Harvey. And the chateau was one of many buildings built in LA around this time in a style inspired by Normandy castles. This was after WWI and many returning from France were inspired to replicate some of the architecture.
I have seen no data suggesting it was built from a real chateau, though.
http://www.justabovesunset.com/id586.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Elysee
2. "Big Blue" was once the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, not Sinai Cedars. Cedars Sinai is a major hospital in L.A.
ps, I would love to know what Big Blue actually looks like inside. Any recent escapees have any info? Are areas not meant for public well maintained? How is climate controlled? Just with window mounted air conditioners or any central methods?
Thanks.
Kookaburra
Gold Meritorious Patron
2 things (and correct me if I am wrong)
1. The Château Élysée (Celebrity Centre Int) was built by Eleanor Ince, (widow of Thomas H. Ince) and designed by Arthur E. Harvey. And the chateau was one of many buildings built in LA around this time in a style inspired by Normandy castles. This was after WWI and many returning from France were inspired to replicate some of the architecture.
I have seen no data suggesting it was built from a real chateau, though.
http://www.justabovesunset.com/id586.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Elysee
2. "Big Blue" was once the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, not Sinai Cedars. Cedars Sinai is a major hospital in L.A.
ps, I would love to know what Big Blue actually looks like inside. Any recent escapees have any info? Are areas not meant for public well maintained? How is climate controlled? Just with window mounted air conditioners or any central methods?
Thanks.
You might be right about the CC. It's not what I recall hearing but what I heard may not have been correct. It was also a LONG time ago, not that there is anything wrong with my memory!
You are correct on Cedars of Lebanon.
When I was at Big Blue, it was pretty utilitarian. They had tried to "de-hospitalize" it by painting it bright colours, but it was still utilitarian, with the rubber baseboards and long strait hallways. Renovations were just starting around 1990. CLO was the first to get done. They converted the animal runs at the experimental bldg to an office building with a southwest New Mexico type motif. That looked quite nice, but the rest of the place was still pretty much of a horror. The rooms in the berthing section were jammed with bunk beds three high. Probably still are. Did you see all the broken windows in the pics showing the new sign?
The orgs were mostly pretty grubby. Some areas of course were worse than others. I can recall a few of the auditing rooms at ASHO were still the original circus colours paint job and you might find yourself in a bright purple and orange closet size room with a lime green shag carpet, or equally hideous. Permanently assigned auditing rooms were better though.
There was central air conditioning. I always preferred the open windows and fresh air.
Does anyone have a more recent report?
Dulloldfart
Squirrel Extraordinaire
If you're actually in PAC "The Main Building" usually, unless they're referring to the berthing bit next door called "Lebanon Hall" which is usually called "Leb Hall" or "Lebanon Hall". Sometimes "Big Blue" is used, but it's not too specific what you're referring to, so if only a sloppy general area term is needed it will do.
Paul
RosyGlass
Patron with Honors
There used to be godawful, psychedelic fluorescent colors on the walls. One color top half, another bottom. I'm hazy on time links, so could be way off, but it seems like that issue about "Chemical Personality" came out.
[Mod Note: The colors were actually ordered by Hubbard per the book "Color For Architecture" with DM acting as the Messenger in charge of the project.]
Kind of a flap about it because whole thing had to be repainted and costly. This was back late 70's or very early 80's. We were happy until we saw the new "improved" colors. from fluorescent chartreuse to puke green, from road cone bright orange to dark pumpkin, and on and on.
psycho bright to doom and gloom
Gonna have some techno colored dreams tonight now
[Mod Note: The colors were actually ordered by Hubbard per the book "Color For Architecture" with DM acting as the Messenger in charge of the project.]
Kind of a flap about it because whole thing had to be repainted and costly. This was back late 70's or very early 80's. We were happy until we saw the new "improved" colors. from fluorescent chartreuse to puke green, from road cone bright orange to dark pumpkin, and on and on.
psycho bright to doom and gloom
Gonna have some techno colored dreams tonight now
Last edited by a moderator:
RosyGlass
Patron with Honors
Yes, read some prior posts in this thread. Used to be a hospital so it has many parts, wings, and assignments.
Leb Hall is berthing. The rooms Are bigger than berthing say on a submarine. Not much more though.
HCObringOrder?
Silver Meritorious Patron
When I visited Big Blue in the late 70s there were renovations going on at that time.
Those were the continuation of the original renovations as I was told.
Each of the Orgs had to reno their space and their berthing before they could move in.
With the normal emergency, priority emergency, priority priority emergency going on, not all the parts of each Org were completed.
It was a mess in some areas and fairly nice in others.
Berthing stunk, or at least the one I stayed in for my short time there.
I just wondered if all the floor tiles were asbestos as many of that era were.
I remember the ornate wooden counters and desks that were getting beaten up from hard use.
Also what I found out is the current CC was at one time called The Manor.
Having been from a Mission, I met my first RPF members there when I was there just after Lunch.
I asked if there was a place where I could grab something to eat and I was ushered into the RPF meal.
The animosity was thick and I did not have any clue why.
It was much different from the staff meal area at Big Blue.
The Manor was my launching point to the airport to Flag.
The travel agent who procured my tickets did so for $90.
I thought that was a super low price for the time.
At that time CC was the building with the "Scientology" sign on Sunset (I think).
Those were the continuation of the original renovations as I was told.
Each of the Orgs had to reno their space and their berthing before they could move in.
With the normal emergency, priority emergency, priority priority emergency going on, not all the parts of each Org were completed.
It was a mess in some areas and fairly nice in others.
Berthing stunk, or at least the one I stayed in for my short time there.
I just wondered if all the floor tiles were asbestos as many of that era were.
I remember the ornate wooden counters and desks that were getting beaten up from hard use.
Also what I found out is the current CC was at one time called The Manor.
Having been from a Mission, I met my first RPF members there when I was there just after Lunch.
I asked if there was a place where I could grab something to eat and I was ushered into the RPF meal.
The animosity was thick and I did not have any clue why.
It was much different from the staff meal area at Big Blue.
The Manor was my launching point to the airport to Flag.
The travel agent who procured my tickets did so for $90.
I thought that was a super low price for the time.
At that time CC was the building with the "Scientology" sign on Sunset (I think).
Rmack
Van Allen Belt Sunbather
For the record, I lived in both the 'big blue' cedars of Lebanon building, and Lebanon hall while I was in the S.laves O.organization in 79-80. I truly believe this is what Laffy considered us, being an ultra-thelemist, laughing behind our backs.
I got there after the renos had mostly been done in the building north (I think) of Leb hall, so I just had to clean them in the EPF.
I heard some weird stories from the guys that had been there longer. One guy tells me one day that they were down in the morgue cleaning. Looking back on what he told me, I suspect they let some cleaning chemicals go down some drain, and a hoard of the biggest, meanest cockroaches they'd ever seen came charging out. Grown men fled and refused to go back down there, make it go right or not!
.
Last edited:
PAC
PAC Base, Hollywood, California
Los Angeles, California has the largest concentration of Scientologists and Scientology-related enterprises in the world. Scientology has established a highly visible presence in the Hollywood district of the city. The organization owns a large complex on Fountain Avenue which was formerly Cedars of Lebanon hospital. It contains Scientology's West Coast headquarters, "Pacific Area Command Base," often referred to as "PAC Base". Adjacent buildings include headquarters of many of Scientology's internal divisions, including the "American Saint Hill Organization", the "Advanced Organization of Los Angeles" and the "Church of Scientology of Los Angeles", founded February 18, 1954. All these organizations are integrated within the corporation Church of Scientology Western United States. Also in this area are the offices of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm for the United States and Canada.
The Church of Scientology successfully campaigned to have the city of Los Angeles rename one block of a street running through this complex "L. Ron Hubbard Way." The street has been paved in brick.
Also in Hollywood is Scientology's main Celebrity Centre, which caters to arts professionals. On Hollywood Boulevard a multi-story building houses the executive offices of the Church of Scientology International and an open-to-the-public exhibition devoted to the life of L. Ron Hubbard. Also in the area are the headquarters of Author Services, Inc. (Hubbard's Literary agency), the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which administers social programs based on Hubbard's writings, (including Narconon and Applied Scholastics), the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which promotes Hubbard's business management techniques and facilitates a network of Scientology-related businesses, and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology-affiliated group that focuses on alleged abuses of psychiatry, and includes a "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.
Today, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles is one of the largest Scientology facilities of its kind in the world. Executives-in-training from every international Scientology organization now apprentice at the LA church before assuming their executive positions.
~wikipedia
PAC Base, Hollywood, California
Los Angeles, California has the largest concentration of Scientologists and Scientology-related enterprises in the world. Scientology has established a highly visible presence in the Hollywood district of the city. The organization owns a large complex on Fountain Avenue which was formerly Cedars of Lebanon hospital. It contains Scientology's West Coast headquarters, "Pacific Area Command Base," often referred to as "PAC Base". Adjacent buildings include headquarters of many of Scientology's internal divisions, including the "American Saint Hill Organization", the "Advanced Organization of Los Angeles" and the "Church of Scientology of Los Angeles", founded February 18, 1954. All these organizations are integrated within the corporation Church of Scientology Western United States. Also in this area are the offices of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm for the United States and Canada.
The Church of Scientology successfully campaigned to have the city of Los Angeles rename one block of a street running through this complex "L. Ron Hubbard Way." The street has been paved in brick.
Also in Hollywood is Scientology's main Celebrity Centre, which caters to arts professionals. On Hollywood Boulevard a multi-story building houses the executive offices of the Church of Scientology International and an open-to-the-public exhibition devoted to the life of L. Ron Hubbard. Also in the area are the headquarters of Author Services, Inc. (Hubbard's Literary agency), the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which administers social programs based on Hubbard's writings, (including Narconon and Applied Scholastics), the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which promotes Hubbard's business management techniques and facilitates a network of Scientology-related businesses, and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology-affiliated group that focuses on alleged abuses of psychiatry, and includes a "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.
Today, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles is one of the largest Scientology facilities of its kind in the world. Executives-in-training from every international Scientology organization now apprentice at the LA church before assuming their executive positions.
~wikipedia
Iknowtoomuch
Gold Meritorious Patron
Of course because "big blue" doesn't describe big blue good enough right. The picture of the big blue building doesn't make it obvious.
Yes, that's why they had to spend millions to build it up after the Northridge quake. I'm not sure where you got that idea but it's false.
Rmack
Van Allen Belt Sunbather
I wonder if the elevators still work. Probably, those old Otis elevators where indestructible.
I knew them well, as I lived on the top (seventh?) floor of the main building.
I shared it with about 5 other S.O. bachelors. It used to be some kind of operating room or something, as it had these large brackets fixed to the floor that must have anchored some serious equipment at some time or the other. My guess is x-ray machines. They were a bitch to clean.
One time, during which they had my seventh floor room utterly destroyed with rubble, glass and god knows what all over the floor, I caught food poisoning. Soon, it was no secret what had happened. the old conveyor belt dish washer had been loaded by estates guys with dishes that had dried for a long time, making it impossible for even that huge industial dishwasher to clean all the dried egg and what-not off. They had just plopped our food on top of it.
I remember laying there, sick as I had ever been in my life, unable to not stare at the inch-thick layer of construction rubble surrounding my bunk. The Qual Sec of Asho day came in, no doubt to assuage his conscience for giving me shit earlier for not showing up on post. The bastard. Didn't even bring me any water.
.
I knew them well, as I lived on the top (seventh?) floor of the main building.
I shared it with about 5 other S.O. bachelors. It used to be some kind of operating room or something, as it had these large brackets fixed to the floor that must have anchored some serious equipment at some time or the other. My guess is x-ray machines. They were a bitch to clean.
One time, during which they had my seventh floor room utterly destroyed with rubble, glass and god knows what all over the floor, I caught food poisoning. Soon, it was no secret what had happened. the old conveyor belt dish washer had been loaded by estates guys with dishes that had dried for a long time, making it impossible for even that huge industial dishwasher to clean all the dried egg and what-not off. They had just plopped our food on top of it.
I remember laying there, sick as I had ever been in my life, unable to not stare at the inch-thick layer of construction rubble surrounding my bunk. The Qual Sec of Asho day came in, no doubt to assuage his conscience for giving me shit earlier for not showing up on post. The bastard. Didn't even bring me any water.
.