The West Coast finally has its own supertall. The under-construction Wilshire Grand Center in Downtown Los Angeles will top off at 1,100 feet. That cements its place as the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
For comparison, New York City’s One World Trade Center comes in at a memorable 1,776 feet. Of course, neither of these are a match for Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower, which rises 163 stories to 2,722 feet — and cost $1.5 billion to build.
The Wilshire Grand Center is reportedly costing an estimated $1.2 billion.
Set to open in early 2017, the Wilshire Grand Center, which is backed by Korean Air, will be home to a 900-room luxury hotel managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group. It will also offer 18 floors of office space and over 45,000 square feet of restaurant space. The names of the retail tenants have not yet been released.
The finishing touch will be a “sky lobby”, which will include an infinity pool and some definitively breathtaking views of Downtown LA.
The Wilshire Grand Center will only have a short while to enjoy its claim to fame, though: Seattle’s 4/C tower is scheduled to overtake it by a mere 11 feet in 2018, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The building was designed by AC Martin. See below for renderings of the completed tower.
Located in Downtown Los Angeles’ Financial District, the Wilshire Grand Center will be a new center point of the skyline, as this early rendering shows.
Wilshire Grand Center/Facebook.com
This rendering illustrates the expected nighttime look of the tower, with a brightly-lit “sail” at its peak.
Here’s that distinctive “sail” design. The curved top is definitely a departure from the style of any other Los Angeles skyscrapers, which tend to be more traditional in appearance.
The glass-encased tower will have a clean, reflective finish. Thirty-five elevators will take visitors to their destination floors.
The area at Its Base Will Include Green Space And A Pedestrian Plaza.
The Wilshire Grand Center will be the first new tower-based office space built in Los Angeles in the last 20 years, according to the New York Times.
Wilshire Grand Center/Facebook.com
To speed up construction, the tower is making use of innovative “plug and play” bathroom pods. 698 of the pre-assembled “pods” are being installed throughout.
Courtesy AC Martin
Currently under construction, the top portion is yet to be clad in its glass casing.
Wilshire Grand Center/Facebook.com
A construction worker stands on one of the upper levels. The tower overlooks the whole of the city and surrounding mountains.
Wilshire Grand Center/Facebook.com
At the topping-out ceremony last month, the Korean-Air-backed project officially reached the 1,100-foot mark. Even if the Seattle tower claims the West Coast title, the Wilshire Grand Center will still be the tallest in California.
Wilshire Grand Center/Facebook.com
Here’s a rendering of a rooftop dining lounge, with the nearby mountains visible through the glass.
Courtesy AC Martin
This projected interior look showcases the tower’s streamlined, contemporary style, taking advantage of the California light. Most rooms will have floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Courtesy AC Martin
Another exterior rendering.
Courtesy AC Martin
The sky deck will be home to an infinity pool, a chic bar, and unrivaled views.
Courtesy AC Martin