Under clear coastal light on Friday, November 28, 2025, a team of painters stood suspended on orange lifts, peeling back layers of age from one of Venice’s most iconic sights — the Giant Binoculars. The towering sculpture, usually a seamless matte black, appeared speckled and unfinished as fresh primer spread across its surface, marking the first visible steps in a full exterior restoration.
The binoculars — designed by architect Frank Gehry in collaboration with sculptors Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen — have stood at the entrance of the Main Street complex for more than three decades. Completed in 1991, the work is widely regarded as a defining example of postmodern whimsy in Los Angeles architecture, merging utility with monumental sculpture and blurring the boundary between art and workspace. For years, vehicles drove directly beneath the lenses, entering the building through a pathway hidden inside the sculpture itself.
The property was originally commissioned for the advertising agency Chiat/Day, a creative powerhouse of its era. Today, Google occupies the building, extending the site’s history of ideas and innovation into the present. The binoculars serve as a literal and symbolic gateway — a portal where tech, art, and advertising intersect along a busy stretch of Venice’s coastline.
Workers could be seen sanding, repainting, and preparing large surface areas throughout the day, suggesting a comprehensive restoration aimed at preserving the sculpture’s dark, monolithic finish. When complete, the refresh is expected to revive the binoculars’ familiar silhouette, ensuring that the structure continues to stand as both a visual anchor and a piece of living architectural heritage on Main Street.
The repainting marks a moment of renewal for a landmark that has long captured attention, curiosity, and camera lenses — a reminder that even the boldest ideas require care to remain vivid against time.
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