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The 2026 Design Awards Event

A view from above of a circular, multi-level courtyard with ornate railings, white columns, red tile floors, and a central fountain surrounded by greenery. Spiral staircases connect the different levels.We're celebrating 24 award winning projects, as well as the Trustee's Awards for Excellence and four President's Awards at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. This special celebration is followed by a ticketed reception with food and drinks. Purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Netflix Egyptian Theatre

Project Lead:  David Cocke, Principal, Structural Focus, Gardena
Client:  Keith Donovan, Netflix, Los Angeles
Lead Architect, Engineer, or Designer:  Ross Brennan, Studio 440, Hollywood

Project Affiliates:

  • Facilities Management: Sara Alessandrini, American Cinemateque, Los Angeles
  • Project Lead (for Owner): Tony Hambarchian, Netflix, Los Angeles
  • Architect (General): Ross Brennan, Studio 440, Hollywood
  • Architect (North Building): Denise Zacky-Popoch, Gensler, Los Angeles
  • Preservation Architect: Peyton Hall, Historic Resources Group, Pasadena
  • Construction Manager: Lisa Marquis, Lincoln Property Company, El Segundo
  • Construction Manager: Elise Lam, Lincoln Property Company, El Segundo
  • Historic Preservation Consultant: Laura Janssen, Historic Resources Group, Pasadena
  • Architectural Conservator: Linnaea Dix Dawson, Silverlake Conservation, Los Angeles
  • Structural Engineer: David Cocke, Structural Focus, Gardena
  • Mechanical Engineer: Charbel Farah, Syska, Los Angeles
  • Electrical Engineer: Charbel Farah, Syska, Los Angeles
  • Noise & Vibration Major Building Systems Consultant: Jim Good, Veneklasen Associates, Santa Monica
  • Lighting Design: Seth Robinson, Sightline Design Group, n/a
  • Geotechnical Engineer: Stan Tang, Geotechnologies, Inc., Glendale

Netflix Egyptian Theatre

Netflix Egyptian Theatre is a winner for the 2025 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/programs/awards/.

About Netflix Egyptian Theatre

The Netflix Egyptian Theatre is one of the most significant landmarks of Hollywood and cinema history as well as an exemplary Egyptian Revival building. Earthquake damage and deferred maintenance threatened the structure in 1994, but an extensive, award-winning rehabilitation by the American Cinematheque completed in 1998 saved the building and assured its continued use and accessibility to the public for the exhibition of motion pictures. The stabilization measures of this project did not fully address the seismic issues nor did it prioritize the building’s historic fabric though. It was therefore planned with reversibility in mind when more funding became available.

Twenty-five years later, Netflix partnered with American Cinematheque to provide that funding, making way for a full rehabilitation, seismic retrofit, and restoration of previously removed character-defining features.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards
The entrance of Graumans Egyptian Theatre at night, with large columns, art deco lighting, and GRAUMANS EGYPTIAN illuminated above the doors. A few people are visible near the entrance.
People mingle at night in an open courtyard with tables and golden chairs, beneath a sign reading GRAUMANS EGYPTIAN. The walls are decorated with Egyptian motifs and hieroglyphics, creating a lively, historic atmosphere.
A building with columns and a face on the roof.
A wide view of an empty theater with green seats, ornate golden wall details, and an intricate, sunburst chandelier on the ceiling. Few people are scattered among the seats, with warm lighting highlighting the interior.
Empty theater with green seats, a lit stage with a blue curtain that reads “EGYPTIAN,” ornate ceiling details, and a few people seated near the back.
Theater interior with green seats facing a stage with a blue curtain reading EGYPTIAN, ornate ceiling decor, and warm lighting. The venue appears empty and elegant.
View of an ornate theater interior with a dramatic, sunburst-style ceiling decoration, blue stage curtains displaying the word EGYPTIAN, and rows of seats facing the stage. Warm lighting highlights architectural details.
A spacious interior with an art deco design, featuring gold and brown tones, a ramp with railings, and counters in the background. Two people stand near the counters, and intricate designs decorate the ceiling.
A spacious, open hallway with tall, column-like pillars and geometric hanging lights, illuminated warmly at night. People are gathered and chatting in the background, with buildings visible outside.

Community Importance

This project is an exemplary collaboration between a for-profit business and a long-established Los Angeles-based nonprofit to uphold community interests and local history. American Cinematheque brings a diverse range of films and hosts discussions with filmmakers to its theater locations in Los Angeles County. The accessibility of the arts is key, especially in the place that invented the red-carpet premiere. This project serves as an inspiring model for public-private projects that help to save the historic use of landmarks as well as the iconic structures themselves.

When Netflix brought its consulting team on board in 2019, the priority of “history” was explicit in order to continue this legacy; the architecture and the role in Hollywood and cinema history must be maintained. Netflix recognized the importance of heritage to the community and its role and reputation in the world of motion picture art and entertainment. While The 1990s renovation demonstrated a commitment to cultural heritage with a project that was previously awarded by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the California Preservation Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this 21st century rehabilitation was an exceptional execution returning lost historic fabric. When walking into the main theater after the 1998 renovation, it was functional yet unrecognizable. Walking into the main theater today transports the audience back to its period of significance while also providing a thoroughly modern cinema experience.

About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.