Any film enthusiast knows the significance of the Bradbury Building in Hollywood films. It has starred in countless blockbuster hits like Chinatown, Lethal Weapon 4, Marlowe, and of course, it played the infamous house of the Toy Maker in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. The use of the Bradbury building in this film is significant. The film is set in a futuristic Los Angeles, that is part of a technologically advanced society. Although with all of these technological advancements, most of the film is set in the ghettos and slums of Los Angeles. The Bradbury is no exception in this film. The Bradbury as we know is usually perceived as a grand monument of Los Angeles history. In Blade Runner, it is the exact opposite. The building is worn down and not maintained at all. This reflects the actual plotline of the Blade Runner movie. In this universe, technology has advanced the human race but it has also ravaged the planet that we live on. Most of the higher class of humans have left Earth altogether. Much like the Bradbury, we have abandoned the things that we once held at high regard and value.
The history of the building is also very interesting. At the time of the filming, The Bradbury had been in a slump of low maintenance and this played well with the theme of abandonment in Blade Runner. Also during the original construction of the building, it was supposed to look like how a building would look in the year 2000. Because it was originally commissioned in 1893 there was no way for architects to know what buildings in 2000 would look like. However, they did achieve a building with a an old style that has an undeniable modern flare. Making it even more perfect for a movie like Blade Runner. This proves that although the building has gone through its ups and downs, the architecture of it will always stand out and withstand the tests of time.
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