LOS ANGELES | 550 S Hope Street | 351 FT / 107 M | 28 FLOORS | 1991

plinko · #1 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 5:19 AM**

The last of three towers built by Maguire Thomas using air rights from the adjacent LA Central Library, 550 S. Hope Street, while a bit short, is a nice filler building in downtown LA. The tower was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox, the only LA building by that firm. It is a study in formal languages, three interlocking forms with three different types of curtain wall. There are nods to art deco, international style, and post-modernism. Like most towers in downtown LA, the building is capped by a helipad, but this one is distinctive in its use of a singular column on one side. The resultant 'roof' form is counter-balanced on the west side with a nice trellis structure.

California Bank & Trust put their logo on the tower in about (2004?).

I like this tower. It isn't particularly large, but it's detailed well and the use of brown aluminum spandrels is fairly unique. The tower has a subtle curved form on the Hope Street side that makes it a bit less harsh when looking at the library.

Lots of pictures of this little gem...

Under construction, summer 1990:

September 1990:

Buried in the skyline...

Well lit for how short it is...

Cool helipad...

Nice accent to Goodhue's masterpiece...

Austin55 · #2 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 5:22 AM**

I love this one, it is pretty rare. IMO its the best modern midrise in LA.

Aleks · #3 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 8:42 AM**

We parked right in front of this building last week when we went to LA.

BrighamYen · #4 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 9:07 AM**

It's an under-rated high rise in LA I think because it's surrounded by such taller structures. But I think it's a nice "filler" like you said plinko.

Here's the only picture I've taken of this building by itself.

BrighamYen · #5 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 9:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by plinko

The tower was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox, the only LA building by that firm.

I looked up their website and apparently the Bloomingdale's in Century City is also designed by KPF. Or did they just do a revamping of an existing older building? I'm not sure.

Also, 550 S. Hope is not even on their website in their portfolio! What's up with that?

Buckeye Native 001 · #6 Posted: **Jul 2, 2008, 2:32 PM**

I've probaby walked by this building numerous times and never paid much attention to it, probably because its overshadowed by all the other highrises. Stupidity on my part.