Los Angeles, California: Crossroads of the World

Designed by architect Robert Derrah and built in 1936, this was Los Angeles' first outdoor shopping mall. The building was designed for the widow of a corrupt Hollywood political king-pin, Charles "the underworld czar" Crawford. Crawford had been a murder victim five years earlier on the very land used to build Crossroads of the World. His death created national headlines and scandal when on his death bed Crawford intentionally refused to reveal the name of the person who shot him. Supposedly author Raymond Chandler used Crawford as a model for some of his fictional criminals.

This complex is a full city block deep and contains nine buildings. The main "ship-shaped" building was built in the Art Deco moderne style, while the buildings in the rear are in the "storybook" architectural style which has been said to have influenced Walt Disney and his animation. Apparently each building was built to represent a European country, with the ship in the center connecting them all.

In the 1970s and 1980s, though suffering from neglect and a downturn in the neighborhood, several rock-n-roll bands used offices here for their headquarters. These bands included Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Poco and the band America. Throughout the years Crossroads of the World has also been used as a shooting location for countless films, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

Looks like part of an office park. The building is shaped like a boat, with a revolving globe on top. A plaque states that it was built in 1936.