The skyscrapers in Los Angeles may not match the glory of those in Chicago and New York, but it ranked 1st in the Pacific Coast region and 5th in the USA. The history of Skyscrapers in Los Angeles began in 1903 when the Braly Building was completed. With 13 floors and 151 feet in height, Braly Building was considered the tallest building at that time. Although the building was constructed for commercial purposes, today it has been renovated and turned into a residential tower, known as the ‘Continental Building’ Luxury Yachts Mykonos.
When you plan to book cheap flights to Los Angeles, don’t just add Hollywood or its fashion boutiques or michelin-satrred restaurants to your bucket list. Vist its skyscrapers and get mesmerized by the city’s magnificent skyline too.
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Little Bit of History
In 1904, the Los Angeles authority had imposed height restrictions, prohibiting the construction of buildings over 151feet. However, an exception was made in 1928 for 454feet tall Los Angeles City Hall. Later in 1957, the authority lifted the height restrictions from the city’s Downtown area Villas Mykonos.
From the 1960s to the ’90s, LA had witnessed a boom in large structure construction. During these three decades, the city welcomed 25-30 tallest buildings. Today, the city takes pride in its tallest tower in Los Angeles, ‘Wilshire Grand Centre, which boasts 73 floors.
Wilshire Grand Center
With 73rd floors and 1,100 feet in height, Wilshire Grand Center is the tallest building in California. Located in the financial district of downtown LA, this tower is a large-scale, urban project developed for Korean Airlines and Hanjin International. It also houses a luxury hotel, retail space, observatory deck, office complex, and shopping malls.
Wilshire Grand Center was designed by AC Martin and held the Guinness World Record for the highest continuous placement of structural concrete. Moreover, it is the first kind of tower in LA with a curved roof, forming a dome. At night, its sail-shaped crown illuminates with a light-emitting diode, accompanied by a lit-glass base and aspire.
US Bank tower
Formerly known as the First Interstate Bank World Center, US Bank Tower is California’s third tallest tower, located in LA. It is also the third-largest building in a major seismic region and was designed to withstand an earthquake of 8.3 Richter scale. US Bank Tower has a multilevel observation deck named OUE Skyspace LA that offers a 360-degree view of the city, hills, ocean, and snow-capped mountains.
The construction of this postmodern skyscraper was completed in 1989 and remained California’s tallest building till 2010. In addition, it has a heliport on top of it, which is the highest in the world. On top of the building, there is a glass crown that illuminates at night, and the colour varies depending on the days, occasion, and especially on the days on which LA’s baseball and basketball teams are playing in the city.
Two California Plaza
The 750feet Two California Plaza in Bunker Hill, LA, is part of the California Plaza Project and home to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Colburn School of Performing Arts, a large water court, and Omni Hotel.
It was designed by Arthur Erickson and completed by Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company in 1992. In addition, it was named BOMA Building of the Year in 1997 and 2001. The plaza was originally planned to build three towers.
Aon tower
Designed by Charles Luckman, the construction of Aon Tower was completed in 1973 and is often overshadowed by other downtown LA skyscrapers. With 62 stories, it was the tallest skyscraper in West Mississippi until 1982 and tallest in LA until 1989, when US Bank Tower defeated it. This rectangular bronze-clad building was originally named the United California Bank Building.
The floor-to-ceiling windows offer unobstructed views and allow for abundant natural light. The building is standing on the flattened Bunker Hill in the Financial District and has five floors below the ground and 30 elevators for its vertical transportation.
Gas Company Tower
This 52-story, class-A office skyscraper serves as the headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company. It also houses the Los Angeles office of Arent Fox and Sidley Austin. The construction of the Gas Company tower was started in 1988 and completed in 1991. Designed by Richard Keating, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, it features 1.4million square feet of office spaces, an efficient floor plan, and standard finishes.
Bank of America Plaza
This Class A office skyscraper on bunker Hills is a 55-storey building initially known among the locals as Security Pacific Plaza. It is home to the headquarters of Security Pacific National Bank, Capital Group Companies, and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as its main tenants. The construction of the plaza was completed in 1974, and today, it is the fifth tallest building in Los Angeles and 92nd tallest building in the USA.
This prestigious and iconic landmark on Bunker Hill is 55 stories tall and has nine subterranean levels. Bank of America Plaza encompasses 4.2 acres of the land and features over 200 trees, including a hundred Eucalyptus, Jacaranda, Ornamental pear trees, and orange. It has three 24-foot waterfalls gushing to the lower level atrium.
Wrap Up
LA hasn’t invested much in skyscrapers because of the local concerns about growing congestion and overdevelopment. Another reason is LA is close to the San Andreas fault line, due to which the construction of the buildings should be carefully planned to avoid damage in case of earthquakes. However, with engineering marvels, the majestic skyscrapers in Los Angeles are adding glory to the already glamorous city’s skyline.
