General
Conditions Governing Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biographical Note
Scope and Content
Existence and Location of Copies
Arrangement
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Roger S. Hong Collection
Identifier/Call Number: archHong
Physical Description:
77 Linear Feet
(10 flat boxes, 8 rolled-tube boxes, and 16 oversize
folders)
Date (inclusive): 1936-2001
Date (bulk): 1960-1995
Abstract: Roger S. Hong was an architect who
worked primarily on commercial projects in California from the 1960s-2001. Hong was actively
involved in efforts to revitalize Chinatown in Los Angeles, and the collection features
early drawings of the building of "New Chinatown" in the late 1930s, and proposals by Hong
for renovations and improvements in the 1980s-2000s. The collection also includes samples of
Hong's other professional projects, as well as his childhood artwork, student work, and Tau
Epsilon Phi fraternity scrapbooks (1960-1962) from the University of Southern
California.
Language of Material: The records are in
English.
General
Finding aid last updated on August
29, 2022.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department.
For more information, contact Reader Services.
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
permission rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Roger S. Hong Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Roger S. Hong, June 2006.
Biographical Note
Roger S. Hong (September 23, 1941 - October 27, 2006) was born in Los Angeles, California,
the youngest son of You Chung Hong (Y. C. Hong) and Mabel Hong. He earned his Bachelor of
Architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1965, followed by a Master
of Science degree in City and Regional Planning in 1968. He was certified in many states,
including California, to practice as a licensed architect. Some of his notable architectural
projects include: the Thomas & Mack Center arena at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas;
the United Bank headquarters (Los Angeles, CA); Kun Lun Hotel (Beijing, China); Hotel Nikko
(Beverly Hills, CA); the Y. C. Hong residence (Los Angeles, CA); Chieh Shou Sports Park
(Taipei, Taiwan); Kaiser Richmond Medical Center (Richmond, CA); Froedtert Memorial Hospital
(University of Milwaukee, WI); KCET Public Television headquarters (Los Angeles, CA); and
various buildings and facilities in and around the Los Angeles Chinatown area. After working
at several firms, he co-founded the architectural firm Arechaederra/Hong/Treiman Architects
in 1981. Hong retired from his firm in 1993 and devoted himself to preserving the Hong
family history, the restoration and preservation of Los Angeles' Chinatown, and various
charitable and community causes.
Hong's father, You Chung Hong (May 4, 1898 - November 8, 1977), was a prominent Chinese
American immigration lawyer based in Los Angeles, California. He is reputed to be the first
Chinese American to pass, in 1923, the California State Bar exam. Y. C. Hong was also one of
the founders of Los Angeles' New Chinatown (1938).
Scope and Content
The Roger S. Hong Collection spans the years 1936-2001 and consists primarily of
architectural drawings by Los Angeles architect Roger Hong dating from the 1960s to 2001, as
well as earlier drawings of Los Angeles' New Chinatown (1936-40s) by architects Erle Webster
and Adrian Wilson. In the mid-1930s, all of Old Chinatown was demolished to make way for
Union Station. Many of the displaced families and businesses went to the nearby 900 block of
North Broadway and developed New Chinatown. The drawings by Webster & Wilson show the
development of this historic area of Los Angeles through survey records, street plans and
drawings for buildings for You Chung Hong.
The collection also includes Roger Hong's proposed revitalization plans for Chinatown,
1979-2001. These drawings and Hong's other professional work in this collection are
primarily for commercial projects. One exception is the Y. C. Hong residence, a modern home
designed while Hong was starting his professional career at Buff & Hensman and
Associates, and constructed in 1969. The collection also includes samplings of Hong's
professional work done while at various firms and in his capacity as private architectural
consultant in the 1990s.
Hong's childhood artwork and work done while he was a student at the University of
Southern California are also part of the collection, including his Tau Epsilon Phi
fraternity scrapbooks, 1960-1962.
Existence and Location of Copies
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following two series:
- I. Personal papers, approximately 1950-2001
- II. Project plans and drawings, 1936-2001
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architects – California
Architecture -- California -- Los Angeles
Architecture -- Designs and plans.
Chinese Americans -- California -- Los Angeles -- History
Chinese Americans -- Societies, etc.
Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Architectural drawings
Color transparencies
Color photographs
Ephemera