| U.S. Bank Tower | |
|---|---|
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  Location within Los Angeles | |
| Former names | Library Tower First Interstate Bank World Center |
| Record height | |
| Tallest inCalifornia from 1989 to 2016[I] | |
| Preceded by | Aon Center (4th) |
| Surpassed by | Wilshire Grand Center |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Postmodernism[1] |
| Location | 633 West Fifth Street Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°03′04″N118°15′15″W / 34.0510°N 118.2542°W /34.0510; -118.2542 |
| Current tenants | See tenants |
| Groundbreaking | June 23, 1987[5] |
| Construction started | January 30, 1988[2] |
| Topped-out | April 18, 1989[3] |
| Completed | October 1989[4] |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Cost | US$350 million |
| Owner | Silverstein Properties Inc. |
| Landlord | Silverstein Properties Inc. |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 1,018 ft (310 m) |
| Top floor | 968 ft (295 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 73 (+2 below ground) |
| Floor area | 1,432,540 sq ft (133,087 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 24 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Ellerbe Becket |
| Developer | Maguire Properties |
| Structural engineer | CBM Engineers James A. Knowles & Associates |
| Main contractor | Turner Construction Company |
| Website | |
| usbanktower | |
| References | |
| [6][7][8][9][10] | |
U.S. Bank Tower, known locally as theLibrary Tower and formerly as theFirst Interstate Bank World Center, is a 1,018-foot (310.3 m)skyscraper indowntown Los Angeles, California. It is, by structural height, thethird-tallest building in California, thesecond-tallest building in Los Angeles, the24th-tallest in the United States, the third-tallest west of theMississippi River after theSalesforce Tower and theWilshire Grand Center, and the129th-tallest building in the world, after being surpassed by the Wilshire Grand Center.[11] However, the U.S. Bank Tower does surpass both the Salesforce Tower and the Wilshire Grand Center in roof height, making it the only building in California whose roof height exceeds 1,000 feet (300 m). Because localbuilding codes required all high-rise buildings to have a helipad, it was known as the tallest building in the world with a rooftopheliport from its completion in 1989 to 2010 when theChina World Trade Center Tower III opened.[12] It is also the third-tallest building in a major active seismic region; its structure was designed to resist anearthquake of 8.3 on theRichter scale. It consists of 73 stories above ground and two parking levels below ground. Construction began in 1987 with completion in 1989. The building was designed byHenry N. Cobb of the architectural firmPei Cobb Freed & Partners and cost $350 million to build. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in Los Angeles, and often appears inestablishing shots for the city in films and television programs.
U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles was sold to OUE Ltd (OUE), a diversified real estate owner, developer and operator group, in 2013. OUE, a Singapore-listed company run by Indonesian billionaire Stephen Riady, acquired the tower and other related assets for $367.5 million. OUE acquired the 72-floor office building, the adjacentMaguire Gardens park, and a parking lot from a unit of Los Angeles–based real-estate investment trust MPG Office Trust Inc.[13][14]
On July 20, 2020, it was announced thatLarry Silverstein (Silverstein Properties), the developer of theWorld Trade Center, purchased the building for reportedly 430 million dollars. The deal closed in late September.[15][16][17] They held agrand opening in April 2023 after creating a brand new lobby and more food options. The renovations included flexible workspaces, an art installation, and other improvements for the tenants.[18]
The building was first known and is alternatively known today as the Library Tower because it was built as part of the $1 billionLos Angeles Central Library redevelopment area, following two disastrous fires at the library in 1986, and its location across the street.[19] The City of Los Angeles soldair rights to the developers of the tower to help pay for the reconstruction of the library. The building was also known for a time as First Interstate Bank World Center but the name Library Tower was restored afterFirst Interstate Bancorp merged withWells Fargo Bank. In March 2003, the property was leased byU.S. Bancorp and the building was renamed the U.S. Bank Tower.
The tower has a large glass crown at its top that is illuminated at night.[20] On February 28, 2004, two 23 m (75 ft) “U.S. Bank” logo signs were installed on the crown, amid controversy for their effect on the aesthetic appearance of the building, much like the previous First Interstate Bank logos were placed on the crown between 1990 and 1998.
On June 16, 2004, the9/11 Commission reported that theoriginal plan for theSeptember 11 attacks called for the hijacking of ten planes, one of which was to be crashed into the building.[21]
On October 6, 2005, House[discuss] officials stated that the government had foiled a previously undisclosed second plot to crash a plane into the building in mid-2002. In his televised2007 State of the Union Address,PresidentGeorge W. Bush asserted that Americancounterterrorism officials foiled a plot to fly planes into the tower.[22] According to President Bush,Al-Qaeda leaderKhaled Sheikh Mohammed's plan was to use Asian confederates fromJemaah Islamiyah recruited by Islamic militantHambali for thehijacking. President Bush asserted the hijackers were going to use shoe bombs to breach the plane's cockpit door. Some counter-terrorism experts have expressed doubt that the plot was ever fully developed or likely to occur.[23]
In July 2014, OUE Ltd. (OUE), the new owners of the skyscraper, announced construction of an observation deck named OUE Skyspace.[24] on the 69th and 70th floors and a restaurant named 71Above on the 71st floor.[25] The facilities opened on June 24, 2016,[26] following remodeling and construction costing $31 million[27] that included a makeover of the ground floor lobby as well as a separate second floor entrance for tourists, and a skylobby and exhibit hall on the 54th floor. Access to the observation deck cost $25 per person.[28] For an additional $8, visitors could take a trip down a transparent glass slide affixed to the outside of the building between the 70th and 69th floors known as the Skyslide.[29]
OUE Skyspace closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. On October 26, 2020, it was announced that the closure was permanent.[30] In May 2021, it was announced that a renovation by the new owner of the tower would result in the conversion of the observation deck attraction back to office space and the removal of the slide, due to complaints from office tenants.[31]
With the building 78% leased, New York developer Silverstein Properties announced plans in 2021 to make changes to the building to attract tenants. The tourist attraction will be converted to office space or communal areas. The 71Above restaurant will remain open while the 54th floor, where people going higher must change elevators, will be turned into a co-working lounge with workstations, food and beverage options, and a catering kitchen for events.[32]
The US Bank Tower was the world's tallest building with a rooftop helipad until theChina World Trade Center Tower III inBeijing, which was completed in 2010 and whose rooftop helipad is 1,083 feet (330 m) high.[12]
As of March 2018, the world's tallest building with a rooftop helipad was theGuangzhou International Finance Center, which also was completed in 2010 and whose rooftop helipad is 1,439 feet (439 m) high.[49][50]
In 1994, the building was featured onVisiting... withHuell Howser.[51]
The building is featured in severaldisaster films, such asIndependence Day,The Day After Tomorrow,D-War,2012 andSan Andreas.[52]
The building is also featured in the popular video game franchiseGrand Theft Auto, appearing as the fictional "Maze Bank Tower" in multiple games set in a fictional version of Los Angeles, called Los Santos. Its most notable appearances are inGrand Theft Auto V as well asGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
It is a location in the 2023 video gameStarfield.
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| Preceded by | Tallest building in the United States west of Mississippi River 1989–2017 | Succeeded by |
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Authority control databases: Geographic |
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