One Worldwide Plaza

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• David Childs of SOM was the designer.
• WorldWide Plaza covers an entire city block and straddles two urban precincts - a financial district and a low-scale, residential neighborhood.
• The tower was clad predominantly in masonry rather than glass, with clear glass windows.
• Whereas the commercial tower rises to face its counterparts to the east, the residential component steps down to respond to the adjacent neighborhood to the west.
• The residential portion includes a smaller tower and buildings with street-level retail space.
• A landscaped plaza mediates between the two towers, covering the span of the city block.
• The plaza is flanked by pavilions and provides a focus for the retail activities along the edges of the site.
• Construction began November 1986 with site excavation.
• The building is scaled back at the base to meet zoning regulations.
• The "great round windows" at the crown allow air into the mechanical space.
• The pyramid roof, despite its size, is not visible from the street when looking directly up the sides of the building.
• The concourse-level space is occupied by Dodger Stages, a theatrical center which replaced a Cineplex Odeon in the same space.