LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[craigs]

Originally Posted by LAisthePlace

Was hoping for a little bit taller or shorter to avoid a tabletop effect, but still very great to have some more height and depth in Los Angeles' 2nd skyline (a skyline that most cities would kill for as their main skyline).

Yeah, Century City (especially when combined with Westwood) has a better skyline than a lot of big US cities:


source

[colemonkee]

Yeah, I was hoping that would happen sooner rather than later, but it's still not finalized, right? I mean, there aren't that many available lots in Century City to build tall, so would require demolishing existing buildings. The next big development in the area to watch is the Fox Studios expansion plan, though that feels like a ways off given the state of the entertainment industry and the office market in general.

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Though that day is coming soon! Will be very interesting to see what happens to Century City when Santa Monica finishes converting that airport to a park.

[a9l8e7n]

11600 W. Santa Monica Blvd in Sawtelle West Los Angeles. Intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Federal Ave. For someone who used to live in the area, I am really liking this addition.

https://twitter.com/LA_Construct/sta...46851560591546

https://la.urbanize.city/post/100-ap...evard-sawtelle

[Illithid Dude]

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

[AskMrNoah]

11600 W. Santa Monica should’ve been a least seven stories, the stumpiness doesn’t work in favor of the design but at least it’s different!

[Busy Bee]

Is it supposed to be Neo-Googie or something?

[colemonkee]

I laughed out loud at this one.

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

[craigs]

More pics of Century City Center under construction from Urbanize Los Angeles:











Rendering:

[craigs]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Yeah, I was hoping that would happen sooner rather than later, but it's still not finalized, right? I mean, there aren't that many available lots in Century City to build tall, so would require demolishing existing buildings. The next big development in the area to watch is the Fox Studios expansion plan, though that feels like a ways off given the state of the entertainment industry and the office market in general.

Today's Urbanize Los Angeles post on Century City Center mentions the Fox Studios proposal: "While Century City Center may be the first office tower seen in the neighborhood in more than a decade, it may not be the last. As part of an overhaul of its historic studio lot, Fox Corp. recently announced plans for a speculative 35-story office tower a short walk to the south along Avenue of the Stars."

Originally Posted by a9l8e7n

11600 W. Santa Monica Blvd in Sawtelle West Los Angeles. Intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Federal Ave. For someone who used to live in the area, I am really liking this addition.

Back when I was in college I lived a couple of blocks from there, too! That strip of SMB was always so underutilized, so I'm happy to see all of the new housing coming in, including Amara. The transit there is pretty good, between Metro and Big Blue Bus. As for the aesthetics, it's too busy. But whatever. We need all the new housing we can get.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

Lmao nailed it.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Is it me or is the pit for the Century City project absolutely MASSIVE? The renderings looks fantastic and im looking forward to this one.

[colemonkee]

If you look close enough here, you can see the boom of the main tower crane for the new CAA Century City Tower just in front of the left Century Plaza Tower. Just look for the diagonal line.

Originally Posted by craigs

Yeah, Century City (especially when combined with Westwood) has a better skyline than a lot of big US cities:


source

[FromSD]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

I agree with at least the first part of your assessment.

But at least the red, white and steel gray/blue color scheme gives it a patriotic vibe. It will be great as a backdrop for Fourth of July parades.

[Charmy2]

The Century City cityscape is so nice. The clash of classic 1960s/1970s towers like the Century Plaza Towers, the slick 1980s-style Fox Plaza (or as I like to call it Nakatomi Plaza), the 1990s and 2000s residential towers, and the 2010s glass titans. I LOVE IT!

[colemonkee]

I worked in Century City from 2015 - 2018 or so in Century Plaza Towers, and I agree that when those offices are at or near capacity, it's a great area. It could use an influx of more residential to make it a bit more active outside of regular business hours, but it definitely hums during the week.

[edale]

I'm somewhat surprised to see all the love for Century City on here. I have a soft spot for it because of the somewhat retro-futurist vibe, but it's pretty bad urbanism and sterile. I mean, the vast majority of the commercial activity in CC is in a suburban style mall, and the whole site is bordered by massive pedestrian-hostile roads. There are some great individual buildings, but overall I find Century City to be pretty lackluster as an urban place.

[scania]

Originally Posted by edale

I'm somewhat surprised to see all the love for Century City on here. I have a soft spot for it because of the somewhat retro-futurist vibe, but it's pretty bad urbanism and sterile. I mean, the vast majority of the commercial activity in CC is in a suburban style mall, and the whole site is bordered by massive pedestrian-hostile roads. There are some great individual buildings, but overall I find Century City to be pretty lackluster as an urban place.

This a skyscraper forum. You don’t have to love urbanism to love skyscrapers. So what if it’s not urban…hell it’s not even in DTLA. No one is moving to Century City to walk everywhere. That’s not where to move if that’s what you want…there are other areas of the city if you want that type of vibe and energy.

[Busy Bee]

But it's so LA.

[edale]

Originally Posted by scania

This a skyscraper forum. You don’t have to love urbanism to love skyscrapers. So what if it’s not urban…hell it’s not even in DTLA. No one is moving to Century City to walk everywhere. That’s not where to move if that’s what you want…there are other areas of the city if you want that type of vibe and energy.

Well skyscrapers and urbanity are pretty linked. You rarely see skyscrapers in suburban or rural areas for good reason. They're a function of land values and space constraints more than anything.

Also, the notion that only DTLA is supposed to be urban and walkable is absurd. That encapsulates the mindset that too many Angelenos have, and frankly is a mindset that holds this city back. We should be aspiring for our whole city to be walkable and transit oriented, not writing off whole districts as being unwalkable because they aren't DTLA, especially our 'second downtown'.

[scania]

Originally Posted by edale

Well skyscrapers and urbanity are pretty linked. You rarely see skyscrapers in suburban or rural areas for good reason. They're a function of land values and space constraints more than anything.

Also, the notion that only DTLA is supposed to be urban and walkable is absurd. That encapsulates the mindset that too many Angelenos have, and frankly is a mindset that holds this city back. We should be aspiring for our whole city to be walkable and transit oriented, not writing off whole districts as being unwalkable because they aren't DTLA, especially our 'second downtown'.

I didn’t say that only dtla should have urbanism. Re-read my post. The concept the entire LA should be walkable would be absurd. One of the reasons LA has the economy that it does is because there are a plethora of wealthy people that move to LA to be in areas where people can’t just walk or take public transportation to their homes. Otherwise LA wouldn’t be the second largest city in the country. LA and NYC offers separate lifestyles that people…especially people with money want to have.