| Century Plaza Towers | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 2029 and 2049 Century Park East Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°03′31″N118°24′51″W / 34.05865°N 118.41411°W /34.05865; -118.41411 |
| Construction started | April 1972 |
| Completed | 1975 |
| Management | CBRE |
| Height | |
| Roof | 571.0 ft (174.04 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 44 |
| Floor area | 2,300,000 sq ft (210,000 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 26 (each) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Minoru Yamasaki |
| Developer | Trammell Crow Company |
| References | |
| [1][2][3][4][5] | |
TheCentury Plaza Towers are two 44-story, 571-foot (174 m) twin towers in theCentury City neighborhood ofLos Angeles,California. They are the tallest buildings in California outsideDowntown Los Angeles andSan Francisco.
Commissioned byAlcoa, the towers were designed byMinoru Yamasaki and completed in 1975.[6] The towers resemble Yamasaki's iconic work, the originalWorld Trade Center in New York City, with their twin configuration, vertical black and gray lines, and aluminum exteriors. The towers have an unusual triangular footprint and are landmarks that are clearly seen around the Los Angeles Westside. Their prominence in the Century City skyline has been reduced in recent years with the addition of new skyscrapers that partially block their view. Nevertheless, the Century Plaza Towers remain the tallest buildings in Century City and the tallest skyscrapers inSouthern California outside ofdowntown Los Angeles. The towers sit atop one of the world's largest underground parking garages with a capacity of roughly 5,000 cars.[7][8]
TheLos Angeles Times reported that in February 2020, the signature twin office skyscrapers were fully occupied for the first time.[9]
In television, the towers were the location for the offices of two separate fictional 1980s private detectives.Remington Steele, the main character of the eponymous NBC series, which ran from 1982 to 1987 and the Blue Moon Detective Agency on the ABC seriesMoonlighting, which ran from 1985 to 1989, both had their offices in the complex.[10] Nearly every episode ofRemington Steele included an exterior establishing shot of the towers, while they are seen in the opening credits ofMoonlighting.
The towers have also served as the backdrop for several television commercials, including adverts forSamsung,Buick,Volvo, andKia Motors. In film, the towers were featured in 1988'sDie Hard (shown at the end credits),[11] 1990'sDeath Warrant, and 2011'sThe Green Hornet.They were also used as opening and establishing shots for the CBS seriesFamily Law starring Oscar-nominated actressKathleen Quinlan.
The base of the towers stood in for the Yamasaki-designed World Trade Center in the 1981 filmEscape from New York starringKurt Russell.
The buildings were also used inMelrose Place as the office ofLexi Sterling's business, Sterling Advertising. They were also seen inBurke's Law.
The buildings were used for the album cover ofYes’s 1977 albumGoing for the One. In 1979,Olivia Newton-John filmed the music video for the title track of her albumTotally Hot here. The buildings are prominently featured inPublic Image Ltd's 1983 video forThis Is Not a Love Song.In 1981, the buildings were used in abumper of the silver ball logo forNickelodeon. The buildings were shown under construction in a 1974 episode ofBarnaby Jones entitled "Dark Legacy".
In the 1990 TV movie,The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, during 8.0 and 7.2 magnitude earthquakes both buildings sway violently, afterwards both buildings remain standing but are severely damaged.
