by Brianna Crandall — March 4, 2013—Updated plans have been unveiled for the supertall Wilshire Grand tower in downtown Los Angeles, which at 1,100 feet (355 meters) is projected to become the tallest building in the city and in the western United States, surpassing the nearby U.S. Bank Tower (1,018 feet). Previously envisioned as two buildings, the project contributes to comprehensive plans to re-urbanize and revitalize the city.
Korean Air, which has owned the Wilshire Grand since 1989, is developing the one-billion-dollar skyscraper in collaboration with Los Angeles-based design firm AC Martin Partners (ACMP) . As befits an airline, the sleek building design is reminiscent of an airline wing, topped by a sail-shaped feature that will be illuminated with LED (light-emitting diode) lighting. It is reportedly the first tower in L.A. to be built without a flat top since 1974.
The projected four-star Wilshire Grand tower will consist of 73 floors offering 42,000 meters of combined office and retail space. A high-speed elevator will take guests to the 70th-floor “sky lobby” to check in to one of its 900 rooms, and a restaurant and “infinity pool” swimming pool and recreation area will occupy the top floors, with retail space on the ground floor.
The tower will be built on the site of the well-known Wilshire Grand Hotel, which opened in 1952 and has operated under several names. The 1,275-room hotel, which hosted the 1952 Emmy Awards and the 1966 NAACP convention, will be demolished by October 2013. The new tower is expected to open in December 2016.
