The architect of the iconic Capitol Records Building

His legacy includes Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and decades of teaching.

- BY PAMELA CHELIN

He designed the world's first round office building, above, and was still a licensed architect at 96.

Louis Naidorf, the visionary architect behind the iconic Capitol Records Building, died Wednesday night of natural causes. He was 96. His death was confirmed by his longtime friend Mike Harkins.

Naidorf's distinctive approach to architectural design, blending logic with creativity and function with feeling, helped define the Los Angeles cityscape.

Though best known for the enduring Los Angeles landmark, which opened its doors in 1956 and was officially designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006, Naidorf's legacy spans far beyond the legendary circular tower, which was the world's first round office building.

His notable body of work includes the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the now-demolished L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, the Beverly Center, the Beverly Hilton hotel, and the Ronald Reagan State Building. Beyond Los Angeles, he led the six-year restoration of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, and designed the Rancho Mirage residence of former President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford.

Naidorf's architectural oeuvre also extends outside California's borders. He designed Phoenix's Valley National Bank building (now Chase Tower), the tallest structure in Arizona; and the Hyatt Regency Dallas and its adjacent Reunion Tower, a defining feature of the city's skyline.

Born Louis Murray Naidorf on Aug. 15, 1928, in Los Angeles, he shaped his future with the same purposefulness and tenacity he brought to his buildings. His parents, Jack and Meriam Naidorf, both worked in the women's clothing industry and often struggled financially. But young Naidorf, who was already sketching towns by age 8, was too busy dreaming about architecture to notice.