2900 Wilshire
Client: Jamison
Location: Los Angeles, California
1,250,000 sf
Type I Construction
2900 Wilshire houses 644, studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units totaling approximately 1,250,000 square feet with 6 above-grade parking levels. The project is on the eastern edge of LA’s vibrant Koreatown district.
The client requested a large floor plate to increase efficiency. From a design standpoint this made for an unusually large façade.
Initially a rectilinear massing was considered but it resulted in a bulky form. Several design iterations later, a form without corners was chosen for its ability to reduce the apparent massiveness of the building.
Reminiscent the shape of an Alvar Aalto vase, the final form’s flowing shapes helps to disguise the bulkiness of the tower.
Comprised of amber glass and three types of spandrel panels, the shifting fabric-like pattern of the façade reinforces the sculptural nature of the design and reducing the visual scale of the building.
The design for 2900 also incorporates a low-rise Type 3 construction wrapped around an internal parking garage. Instead of exposing the 900 space garage to the street, residential program was used to shroud and create a better street-level aesthetic.
The low-rise portion also incorporates an open rooftop park. The nearly 2.4 acre park was designed to be used by the residents and included many amenities such as a pool, exercise center, dog park, BBQ niches and park like landscape.