Nothing stops the forward engine of progress, and particularly not in Los Angeles, where we’ve been beating the national trends in economic growth and urban revitalization for years. So, naturally, developers and architects are hard at work crafting the next generation of residential and commercial projects across the city. From a batch of new stadiums to stunning skyscrapers and mega-malls, we can’t say we’re necessarily sold on every one of these new developments just yet, but in the spirit of "out with the old, in with the new," these are the buildings we’re watching in 2017 as they make moves to change the look of the city.
Oceanwide Plaza
Dropping in next to L.A. Live, this massive project will be the first in the U.S. from Chinese developer Oceanwide. The defining feature of the exterior, aside from the sheer size of the thing itself, will be an eye-catching 700-foot LED screen that has us thinking of Times Square. Inside, expect 166,000 square feet of retail, more than 500 condos and L.A.’s first Park Hyatt hotel.
Image: Courtesy Oceanwide Plaza
Fifth and Hill
This Pershing Square condo building will be at least 55 stories tall and might stretch up to 57, if the city approves the plans. Those floors will be punctuated with individual suspended glass swimming pools that have previously been seen in Dubai, but never in California. Through the middle of the structure there will be a ‘sky lobby’ atrium which may make the upper floors of the building appear to float in mid-air.
Rendering: CallisonRTKL / Fifth and Hill
8150 Sunset
This long-awaited Frank Gehry-designed compound in West Hollywood actually encompasses five individual buildings, all connected and sharing an interior courtyard plaza. Two of the buildings will be fully residential, including a large number of units set aside for below-market-rate renters. The entire project is LEED-silver-certified and will be the first project in L.A. that meets a new standard for zero net greenhouse emissions. As for the look, it’s classic Gehry, with swooping sheets of silver metal shooting 15 stories high.
Banc of California Stadium
The Rams new stadium in Inglewood will be a sight when it opens, but one would be remiss to overlook L.A.’s other new sports arena, the future home to the Los Angeles Football Club. It replaces the now-demolished arena at Exposition Park, taking what’s considered a small footprint by modern stadium standards and building up to create space for 22,000 soccer fans. The nosebleed seats here will be 85 feet into the air and the seating grade is the steepest in the league. Taking advantage of L.A.’s climate, it’s a mostly open-air structure and will be landscaped with 86,000 square feet of natural grass.
670 Mesquit Street
A large, elevated courtyard area extending past the rail yards and toward the L.A. River have earned this Arts District development favorable comparisons to New York City’s High Line. That courtyard is just one component of this block-long project that expects to include two boutique hotels, a new art museum, dining and residential space within two ziggurat-shaped concrete and glass buildings.
Image: Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.