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  #41  
Old Posted Aug 1, 2008, 5:04 AM
tujunga tujunga is offline
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Originally Posted by RuFFy View Post
Weird part is that I had just started looking at it.. and next thing you know I'm like.. WOW.. and just like that I figured something out that In so many years I never knew. The AON is the old US Bank Tower and I think that's why we all love it. We once were as proud of the AON as we are of the US Bank Today.

nnnnnnnot really.

United California Bank you mean or am I missing something
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  #42  
Old Posted Aug 1, 2008, 3:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001 View Post
Needless to say, they did an excellent job hiding it if its taken skyscraper enthusiasts 30 years to figure it out
i've never been to LA, so i've never seen this building in person, but from every picture i've seen of the tower, i've always been aware that it tapers ever so slightly as it rises. maybe this is a revelation to some skyscraper enthusiasts, but it's not news to me. the slight and barely noticeable taper of international style boxes is a trick you see in many scrapers of that era if you pay attention to the details.

anyway, this is a pretty good building. it's not great, but it's also far from offensive. i can understand the hometown appreciation for being the city's tallest for so long. distinctions like that often times make buildings like this live larger in our minds than they really are.
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  #43  
Old Posted Aug 1, 2008, 5:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan View Post
i've never been to LA, so i've never seen this building in person, but from every picture i've seen of the tower, i've always been aware that it tapers ever so slightly as it rises. maybe this is a revelation to some skyscraper enthusiasts, but it's not news to me. the slight and barely noticeable taper of international style boxes is a trick you see in many scrapers of that era if you pay attention to the details.
Steely, oddly enough, I should have noticed it...I'm a damn architect! If I ever did notice it I just clearly didn't recognize it for what it was and my brain discarded the info. Oh well.

Now I can't NOT notice it.
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  #44  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2008, 11:04 PM
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I've always loved this building. It provides brutal strength and corporate, "down to business" professionalism in a skyline of otherwise frilly towers. I believe this building to be one of downtown LA's greatest landmarks.
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  #45  
Old Posted Aug 19, 2008, 9:28 PM
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I like it's motto: The Pillar of the downtown skyline. Pretty apt.
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  #46  
Old Posted Aug 22, 2008, 5:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plinko View Post
Steely, oddly enough, I should have noticed it...I'm a damn architect!
Your an architect?!
Just out of curiosity; what comp. program would you recommend for Drafting and Designing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt View Post
I've always loved this building. It provides brutal strength and corporate, "down to business" professionalism in a skyline of otherwise frilly towers. I believe this building to be one of downtown LA's greatest landmarks.
Yes, it seems very "corporate" like.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ThreeHundred View Post
I like it's motto: The Pillar of the downtown skyline. Pretty apt.
Nah, I would give that to the U.S. Bank, since it's shape is more in the form of a pillar.
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  #47  
Old Posted Jun 10, 2009, 6:35 AM
XLucky4LifeX XLucky4LifeX is offline
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my favorite building.
I've been noticing the tapers when I was looking through my pictures.
Aon is the most gangsta building in Downtown.
Black and white borders. Simple and cool.
That's what I like about this building.
The Aon Center in Chicago is...greekish

Last edited by XLucky4LifeX; Jul 23, 2009 at 10:04 PM.
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  #48  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 3:38 AM
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The past few months, AON has been renovating it's lobby to make it much more inviting. And heeeeeere are the results.

From blogdowntown.com

Quote:
When it opened in 1973, the AON Center at 6th and Hope was the tallest office tower in the west. It's since been surpassed locally by the U.S. Bank Tower, but over 35 years later 707 Wilshire is still a major figure in the Downtown skyline.

Next Monday, the last piece of a major ground floor renovation will be completed, as the Garden Cafe opens inside a new public atrium.

Planning for the $15-million renovation kicked off in August of 2007, when Beacon Capital Partners bought the tower. Work got underway last spring, with crews tearing out hardscape elements that had made the building less than accessible.

The redo by architecture firm Johnson Fain placed new 45-foot glass curtain walls on the north and south faces of the building. Inside, bright primary colors were used on the structure's signature criss-cross escalators.

Hidden away, though, is the building's most interesting new feature. An inaccessible fountain space was knocked out to create a new 3,000 square foot, glass-canopied atrium. The bright and airy space is open to the public, and is home to the new Garden Cafe, which will serve Peet's Coffee. Seating is next to a water feature, and building management said yesterday that WIFI is a likely addition.

In a smart move, the redesign moved the building's security desks to the second floor, meaning that there are no obstacles between the public and the atrium.

Pending final inspections, the cafe is scheduled to open on Monday, June 29.















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  #49  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 5:16 PM
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That is an amazing improvement. I love the feel and look of clean, clear, shiny glass.
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  #50  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 5:46 PM
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ooh, nice! I will have to check that out whenever I visit LA.
Does this building have a website? If so, I will have to check that out.

And here's something funny- some time ago, I wrote a sort of skyscraper fairy tale, and this building was in it. Mind you, he went by a different name, but it was definately him. And go figure- his security staff were pricks, or at least some of them were. And now I read this thread and see that they really are!
Damn, was I channelling when I wrote that?

As for the personality of the skyscraper himself, I made him friendly, with a warped sense of humour. He made fun of amorous tenants who fooled around after hours and got caught, as well as laughing when his prick security guards got in trouble.
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  #51  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2009, 5:52 AM
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What?

Anyways, the new lobby looks great!
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  #52  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2009, 6:56 AM
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Definitely a nice update to the Aon there.
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  #53  
Old Posted Jul 3, 2009, 8:17 PM
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I don't generally like the corruption of vertical international style facades by partially replacing them with clear glass (see Mid Continental Plaza in Chicago), but any improvements to this building's public accessibility are welcome. This is the one where security guards came out and told us we couldn't take pictures of the building during a forum meet in '05.
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  #54  
Old Posted Jul 7, 2009, 6:12 AM
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When that happens, move onto the public sidewalk. They can't say shit to you there. I'm a guard myself, I know these things. Once you are off the property, they can't do a thing.
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  #55  
Old Posted Jul 9, 2009, 4:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Upward View Post
This is the one where security guards came out and told us we couldn't take pictures of the building during a forum meet in '05.
I distinctly remember being followed for a block or so toward the library by the aforementioned security guard.

Not entirely sure I like the renovation, even if it is needed. Clear glass makes the lobby look...weird.
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  #56  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2009, 6:28 PM
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I'd like to see the corners of the building buffed or polished from ground to roof top as to give that new and clean shine that would match the new entrance. Maybe it's just me being a little picky but I think it might do a lot to even out the differences. Though subtle, to me, they are noticeable.
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  #57  
Old Posted Jul 11, 2009, 1:26 AM
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I said this ages ago, but I think if AON's corners were lit red not unlike the BofA Plaza in Dallas, it would look really cool.

Btw, it's a weird thing: I can't type AON without capitalizing it. Might be a weird ADD thing.
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  #58  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2009, 5:13 AM
tujunga tujunga is offline
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Originally Posted by Upward View Post
I don't generally like the corruption of vertical international style facades by partially replacing them with clear glass (see Mid Continental Plaza in Chicago), but any improvements to this building's public accessibility are welcome. This is the one where security guards came out and told us we couldn't take pictures of the building during a forum meet in '05.
I agree with you the cutting off of the vertical lines makes the building look like a giant modern fireplace. The improvements look ok now but I wonder if 10 years from now when the improvement becomes stale if it will simply stick more as a modification that should not have happened. Classic designs should never be muddled with. They should have improved the surrounding area to enhance the building classic modern features such uplighting it at night and simply cleaning up the building, reglazing it and redoing the grounds.
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  #59  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2009, 2:57 PM
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The escalators should at least be black
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  #60  
Old Posted Jul 16, 2009, 5:16 AM
XLucky4LifeX XLucky4LifeX is offline
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Im going with Zerton. The escalators should be at least black, or red to match with the sign AON.
This has been my favorite cool building of all time and I don't want to see it go weird or stupid.
And another thing I would go with is ThreeHundred.
Adding more red to this building could make it look cooler.

Last edited by XLucky4LifeX; Jul 20, 2009 at 3:01 AM.
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