Heavy equipment is being put into place in the Hayden Tract for the construction of the Wrapper, a 230-foot building going in next to the Expo Station on the border of Culver City and Los Angeles. The building will be another unique design from architect Eric Own Moss, developed by Samitaur, the company responsible for much of the stylish and award winning growth in the Hayden Tract. Billed as “Los Angeles’ first “creative” high rise office building,” the project site is next to the Jefferson/La Cienega stop of the Expo Light Rail Line
The height of the project in relation to the low surrounding buildings gives the architecture a solo spot on the Los Angeles skyline.
According to UrbanizeLA, Samitaur has sought for more than two decades to construct a high-rise office building at 5790 Jefferson Boulevard. Initially envisioned with two buildings, the project is now moving forward with a single 17-story tower featuring approximately 180,000 square feet of rentable space – including street-fronting retail – and a parking garage.
The 230-foot-tall building, which is highlighted by a “continuous system of curvilinear ribbons,” wrapping around its exterior. The steel exoskeleton allows for an interior free of columns, with floor plates up to 22,000 square feet in size, and double-height ceilings of 24 feet on certain levels. Renderings also show a roof-level penthouse with an outdoor deck.
Though Wrapper was the only high-rise development pondered for Baldwin Hills area at the time Samitaur initially conceived of the project, it is not the only tower on the horizon for the neighborhood. Across Jefferson Boulevard, San Francisco-based developer Carmel Partners is in the midst of construction for the Cumulus project which will be highlighted by a 30-story apartment tower.
Graphic Credit – Eric Owen Moss Architects
It looks chaotic