[17] The Eastern Columbia Building is built of steel-reinforced concrete and clad in glossy turquoise terracotta with deep blue and gold trim.

The building is capped with a four-sided clock tower emblazoned with the name "Eastern" in neon and crowned with a central smokestack surrounded by four stylized flying buttresses.

The sidewalks surrounding the Broadway and Ninth Street sides of the building are of multi-colored terrazzo laid in a dynamic pattern of zigzags and chevrons.

The central main entrance has a spectacular recessed two-story vestibule adorned with a blue and gold terra cotta sunburst.

[3] The building was created to house the then-separate Eastern (furniture and homeware) and Columbia (apparel) department stores both owned and managed by Adolph Sieroty, who had founded his Los Angeles retail concern as a clock shop at 556 S. Spring St. in 1892.

[24] On June 23, 2005, the long-defunct clock tower was reactivated in a ceremony with city and preservation leaders to celebrate the building's 75th anniversary.

[25][26] Developer KOR Group, in conjunction with Killefer Flammang Architects, completed a two-year $80-million renovation of the building in 2006, turning the property into 147 condominiums, with interior redesign completed by the firm Kelly Wearstler Interior Design[11][16][27][28][29][30] These live/work lofts showcase the timeless details of the early 20th century along with modern upgrades.

[38] In 2016, billionaire Ronald Burkle sold a three-story penthouse within the Eastern Columbia for $2.5 million, among the highest prices ever paid per square foot for a residential unit in the Historic Core district.

[1][14][46] "The property meets the criteria for HCM designation because it reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, state, or community.