105
Global
Height rank

Wilshire Grand Center

Los Angeles
Height
1
To Tip:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
335.9 m / 1,102 ft
2
Architectural:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
335.3 m / 1,100 ft
3
Occupied:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
252.2 m / 827 ft
  Floors
Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
62
Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
5
1 2 3 Wilshire Grand Center
Height 335.3 m / 1,100 ft
Floors 62
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Wilshire Grand Center

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

Wilshire Grand Tower

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed

Completion

2017

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United States

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Los Angeles

Address

900 Wilshire Boulevard

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

Hotel / Office

Structural Material
All-Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.

Concrete-Steel Composite

Energy Label

LEED Gold targeted

Official Website

Wilshire Grand Center

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

335.3 m / 1,100 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
335.9 m / 1,102 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
252.2 m / 827 ft
Helipad
Height, measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance, to the building's helipad.
281.8 m / 925 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

62

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

5

# of Hotel Rooms
Number of Hotel Rooms refers to the total number of hotel rooms contained within a particular building.

890

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

1092

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

38

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

8.13 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

187,027 m² / 2,013,142 ft²

Rankings

  • By Location
#
105
Tallest in the World
#
15
Tallest in North America
#
15
Tallest in United States
#
1
Tallest in Los Angeles

Construction Schedule

2009

Proposed

2013

Construction Start

2017

Completed

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Thornton Tomasetti
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Glumac
Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Turner Construction Company
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Façade Maintenance
Lerch Bates
Wind
RWDI
Owner
Hanjin International Corporation; Korean Air
Developer
Martin Project Management
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
AC Martin
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Thornton Tomasetti
Engineer of Record

The Engineer of Record takes the balance of the engineering effort not executed by the “Design Engineer,” typically responsible for construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc.
Brandow & Johnston Inc
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Glumac
Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Turner Construction Company
Concrete
Conco
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Acoustics
Veneklasen Associates
Civil
Breen Engineering
Code
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Benson Industries, Inc.; Heitmann & Associates, Inc.
Façade Maintenance
Lerch Bates
Food Service
Cini-Little International Inc.
Interiors
AC Martin; Wilson Associates
Landscape
RELM Studio
LEED
Brightworks
Life Safety
Exponet
Lighting
Lighting Design Alliance
Parking
Choate Parking Consultants
Property Management
InterContinental Hotels Group
Roofing
Independent Roofing Consultants
Sustainability
Brightworks
Vertical Transportation
Fortune Shepler Consulting
Way Finding
Selbert Perkins Design
Wind
RWDI
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Cladding
Viracon
Steel
Schuff Steel

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Structure Award 2019 Award of Excellence

2019 CTBUH Awards

 

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH 2019 Award of Excellence Winners Announced

5 December 2018 - Awards

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

22 August 2018 - CTBUH Research

See more

Videos

16 October 2016 | Los Angeles

CTBUH Video Interview – Abrar Sheriff

Abrar Sheriff of Turner International is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Abrar discusses the planning and construction process for supertall...

 

Research

01 September 2018

Design and Applications of Buckling-Restrained Braces

Atsushi Watanabe, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineer

Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) have been widely applied to tall buildings in seismic areas in the world. In this paper the author summarizes representative types of...

See more

About Wilshire Grand Center

The Wilshire Grand Center marks a new era for tall buildings in Los Angeles; it will be an exciting addition to the visual character of the Downtown area, and offer a contemporary contrast to its surroundings with its sail-shaped form. The development will boast luxury hotel rooms, restaurants, businesses, and nightlife options. Topped with a curved roof that diverges from the traditional flat roof style of most tall buildings nearby, the Wilshire Grand Center will rise well above its surroundings. The tower is designed to be the tallest structure in the Los Angeles skyline, and will do much to add to the cultural and economic vibrancy of the neighborhood.

The project team strove to design a high-performing building that intelligently addresses the specific environmental issues facing Southern California. Architects and engineers employed the latest construction techniques and sustainability considerations to ensure that this project is built and operated in a way that is ecologically responsible, and will allow the building to achieve a LEED Silver certification. The design team worked closely with the City of Los Angeles to incorporate strategies such as thermal energy storage and the reuse of storm water in cooling towers. Innovative lighting and climate systems are also in place to significantly reduce overall energy consumption.

The city’s culture and climate are celebrated with a strong sense of indoor/outdoor relationships created at every practical opportunity. Ballrooms open directly onto gardens, the prefunction space extends to a terrace, pool decks are lined with cabanas, and outdoor meeting rooms encircle fire pits. The hotel rooms and office space feature floor-to-ceiling glass to maximize the spectacular views of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean, the Hollywood Hills, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Structure Award 2019 Award of Excellence

2019 CTBUH Awards

Research

01 September 2018

Design and Applications of Buckling-Restrained Braces

Atsushi Watanabe, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineer

Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) have been widely applied to tall buildings in seismic areas in the world. In this paper the author summarizes representative types of...

01 September 2018

Review of Buckling-Restrained Brace Design and Application to Tall Buildings

Toru Takeuchi & Akira Wada, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) are widely used as highly ductile seismic devices, with the first building using BRBs completed in 1989 in Tokyo, and thousands more...

05 February 2018

2017: Skyscraper History’s Tallest, Highest- Volume, and Most Geographically Diverse Year

This 2017 Tall Building Year in Review / Tall Buildings in Numbers data analysis report shows that more buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater...

08 August 2017

Frontiers in High-Rise Outrigger Design

Hi sun Choi & Leonard M. Joseph, Thornton Tomasetti; SawTeen See, Leslie E. Robertson Associates; Rupa Garai, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

In 2012, CTBUH published the first Outrigger Design for High-Rise Buildings Technical Guide. In 2016, the CTBUH Outrigger Working Group felt it would be beneficial...

01 March 2016

Wilshire Grand: Outrigger Designs and Details for a Highly Seismic Site

Leonard M. Joseph, C. Kerem Gulec, and Justin M. Schwaiger, Thornton Tomasetti

The 335 m tall Wilshire Grand Center tower under construction in Los Angeles illustrates many key outrigger issues. The tower has a long, narrow floor...

CTBUH Initiatives

Filter by

5 December 2018

CTBUH 2019 Award of Excellence Winners Announced

These projects will be represented at the CTBUH 2019 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference, where they will compete in real time for winning distinctions in each category.

22 August 2018

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

CTBUH has released a Tall Buildings in Numbers (TBIN) interactive data study on the world's tallest buildings with dampers.

13 October 2016

Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings

The Council is pleased to announce the Top Company Rankings for numerous disciplines as derived from the list of projects appearing in 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings.

30 October 2015

Los Angeles Regional Tour

CTBUH 2015 delegates toured Los Angeles buildings of many renown architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Richard Meier, and Rudolph Schindler.