Arizona State University’s work to preserve and restore the Herald Examiner building in downtown Los Angeles has been honored for architectural excellence.

The Los Angeles Business Council last month awarded ASU with the grand prize at the 53^rd Annual Architectural Awards.

Julia Morgan designed the building in 1913 for the headquarters of the William Randolph Hearst-owned Examiner newspaper. She later went on to design the Hearst Castle in upstate California.

Decades after it was degrading and shuttered, the university began a $40 million preservation and restoration effort, according to a release. The nearly 86,000-square-foot, five-level building now welcomes students and faculty from various disciplines among others.

“Not only does the building illuminate the city’s rich history dating back more than a century, but with a new vision, it now bridges that tradition with innovation, and enables us to help advance the downtown’s intellectual, cultural and economic vibrancy,” ASU President Michael M. Crow said.

In 2022-23, ASU enrolled 22,700 Californians as undergraduate and graduate students, both at in-person campuses and online, the release stated.

The former Herald Examiner building is now called ASU California Center Broadway.