Spencer Pratt Vows to Bring Art Deco Architecture Back to Los Angeles

Spencer Pratt Vows to Bring Art Deco Architecture Back to Los Angeles

Has there ever been a more effective grassroots campaign for a mayoral position than the one Spencer Pratt and his team are running?

It would be hard to imagine one that has been so inspirational. Pratt’s effective debate appearance and common sense vows (i.e. to get rid of the conditions causing medieval diseases) see him surging in the polls and in striking distance of current Mayor Karen Bass.

🚨 HOLY CRAP IT'S HAPPENING! Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt just SURGED +12 points in the polls, and now only trails Karen Bass by single digits

The voters are *BEGGING* for common sense

He has overtaken Nithya Raman already 🔥

"New polling showing political… pic.twitter.com/fzYlaexTBJ

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 13, 2026

California is so bereft of good news when it comes to an election that the fact that Pratt appears to be at least able to survive the June 2nd primary to compete in the general election has me almost giddy.

Pratt continues to make intriguing promises, prompting people to recall LA’s past glories and consider the possibilities for the future. This time, he promised to bring Art Deco Back to the area.

“We’re going have LA so beautiful. No more of these high density, SP79 prison-like structures. We need to bring Art Deco back… I’m going to have a canal… bike lanes going through the sky through tunnels.”

This line is how you know Spencer Pratt is radically different and will win.

“We’re going have LA so beautiful. No more of these high density, SP79 prison-like structures. We need to bring art deco back… I’m going to have a canal… bike lanes going through the sky through… pic.twitter.com/j1OSyP6w1F

— Sean Semanko (@SeanSemanko) May 12, 2026

I must admit, few campaign promises have brought me more joy.

Art Deco is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that emerged in Europe in the 1910s and became a major international style in the 1920s and 1930s. It is characterized by bold geometric forms, streamlined shapes, stylized decoration, and extensive use of industrial materials like chrome, aluminum, and plastics to convey luxury and modernity.

The style expressed optimism about progress, technology, and the relationship between people and machines, often suggesting speed, power, and glamour.

Additionally, as the era coincided with the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, Art Deco incorporates geometric patterns, hieroglyphic motifs, pharaonic imagery (such as scarabs, lotus flowers, and sphinxes), and stepped pyramid forms. “Egyptomania” provided the style with a visual vocabulary that merged ancient symbolism with modern streamlined aesthetics.

The 1920s also saw the birth of a new, strangely specific kind of building — the Egyptian Theatre, uniting cinema and Ancient Egypt and Art Deco into one fantastical mix.

The first and grandest was Grauman's in Los Angeles, from 1922, though it now looks somewhat different: pic.twitter.com/P1aaeLlGTO

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) October 1, 2024

Interestingly, Art Deco recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. As we are celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary, it must be noted that the style evolved from European influences to something Americans could call their own.

Emerging post-World War I, machinery and industry were the major cultural forces shaping Art Deco. Architecture in the U.S. evolved quickly after these influences arrived. At first, Americans were imitating European design. However, as times shifted from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression in the 1930s, American designers made the style their own.

Designers took something that had been expensive and exclusive, made from precious materials, and democratized it. This trend appeared largely through industrial and product design, which was just emerging as a profession. As electricity spread into homes, consumers wanted new products such as vacuum cleaners, radios, and toasters, and designers had to decide what these objects should look like. Even during the Great Depression, many Americans had stable jobs and consumer power, and manufacturers realized design was key to selling products. That made design, and Art Deco in particular, part of everyday life.

Art Deco rose just as Los Angeles exploded in population and economic power in the 1920s, as it was on its way to becoming a center for aviation, shipping, and especially the movie industry. Developers and studio-era Los Angeles embraced the style because its vertical lines, futuristic motifs, and sense of opulence fit the city’s self‑image as a modern, glamorous metropolis.

Many landmark buildings (e.g., the Los Angeles Central Library, Union Station), and numerous theaters and office towers still showcase the style, making Art Deco a visible part of LA’s architectural identity.

Los Angeles Central Library pic.twitter.com/fARqmd29qo

— Hyperion (@Ortgeist) March 13, 2025

Meanwhile, what is Pratt’s opponent promising? Free teeth for meth-heads.

“How many people who are unhoused that you meet have no teeth at all? They don’t have teeth. Why? Because meth rots your teeth. You can’t succeed without teeth! So there needs to be comprehensive health care provided for the people…”

LA Mayor Karen Bass demands free dental care for meth heads because "you can't succeed without teeth." pic.twitter.com/YdOHUu14rl

— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) May 13, 2026

If nothing else, the Pratt campaign has exposed just how low the bar has sunk in Los Angeles politics: one candidate is talking about restoring beauty, functionality, and civic pride, while the other is focused on managing the fallout of societal decay.

That contrast alone explains his momentum.

Whether Pratt ultimately prevails or not, the fact that a grassroots effort built on common-sense fixes and a dash of unapologetic optimism is even competitive should be a flashing warning sign to the entrenched political class. Voters may finally be less interested in managing decline and far more open to someone willing to reverse it.

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