Architect reveals 70-story Redwoods-inspired skyscraper for DTLA

Koichi Takada Architects has revealed a striking California Redwoods-inspired design for Crown Group’s planned tower on South Hill Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

The design for the Sky Trees project reveals that Crown Group wants to build a 70-story tower, significantly taller than the 52-story tower that Sydney-based Crown Group filed for in May. The project is slated for 1111 S. Hill Street, a few blocks from the Staples Center.

The 56-story tower was one of the largest proposed in the city last year. The older plans called for 528 condo units and ground-floor commercial space in a 563,549-square foot structure.

If built, the project would be Crown’s first in the United States and the fourth time it has tapped Sydney-based Koichi Takada Architects on a project.

Takada designed the new tower to be “the healthiest place you can live in Downtown L.A,” the architect said in Commercial Real Estate in Australia, which previously reported news of the tower’s updated design.

Amenities will make for resort-style living and the tower will have a series of sloping open air decks on its upper levels packed with trees. Wood will be used in the construction.

Takada said the design of the base of the tower — where vertical elements undulate to form a street canopy, appearing as if moved by a breeze — was inspired by the famous photograph of actress Marilyn Monroe standing over a subway grate that sent her dress flying upwards.

The project is one of several others planned and under construction in South Park. Mack Urban and AECOM Capital are planning a 51-story and a 60-story tower one block away on Olive Street.

City Century has its $1 billion, three-tower Olympia project in its sights, as well as a much smaller 312-unit project on S. Grand Avenue. Forest City Realty Trust is working on a 27-story residential tower on South Hope Street.