Post #303245 by bigbrotiki on Tue, May 1, 2007 10:24 AM

Nautice the NAUTICAL porthole windows!:) ..but also notice that jerry-rig patch-up job on the roof, uh oh.

Aaaaaah, the Tahitian Village apartments! Fondest memories! Possibly my first major Tiki Village discovery, it convinced me that there was more to Tiki than just a couple of Fu-joints. Here was proof that other Polynesian posadas did not only take over Tiki restaurant features like A-frames, lava rock, entrance bridges, waterfalls and Tiki torches, but did artfully embellish and re-interpret them. How did I find it? I think I had a tip, but also, by looking for tall palm trees sticking out from the urban sea of Los Angeles. They sometimes mark an uncharted Tiki island. Since they were planted in the early 60s, they are usually the tallest trees on the block:

Tahitian Village Apartments January 1992

This is one of the places I always regretted not having enough space for in the Book of Tiki (see images page 215, text 216)
But I also feel extremely fortunate to have come upon this haven before 1994, when the Northridge earthquake broke the entrance figures off their hinges and smashed them. I probably will use one of the courtyard shots in upcoming publications, but they really work best in context with the others. So here we go:

Here is the entrance with its original guardians:

And here, as pictured in the BOT, the (nautical!) bridge, and the MALE Gauguin-esque statue:

It was not in use when I found it, but apparently it used to spout water from its mouth into his HANDS, and then it flowed from there down into the pool, and under the bridge, to the FEMALE:

Now SHE had the coolest feature: Peering behind the statue, I discovered a gas line hook up ending in her OPEN HAND! Imagine, crossing between fire and water into this complex at night!

And now, behold the courtyard:

A classic Southern Californian Tiki Shangri La! A blue pool, tropical foliage with a Tiki hiding in it, carved Tiki support beams...

...and iron spear-and-shield railing ornaments!

Here's one of the beams, close. The each-door-a-different-color, Modrian-esque colorscheme was very 50s too.

And here is the exterior mask. I try to avoid contemporary cars and people in my shots, so they look more vintage, but sometimes a human being (well, my ex, in this case :wink: ) conveys the height and scale of a piece best.

I believe this edifice was built in 1962. I would love to find the architect's sketches and renderings for it, they must have had a story behind those great entrance statues, probably even names for them.