Ugly-ass new high rise will dramatically reshape LA’s skyline

New York is being plagued by these behemoths. They cut off light and air to smaller buildings.

You know what’s ironic? The low-income housing (“projects”) have huuuge footprints and are capped at a certain height and are spaced far apart (relatively). The rich people live crowded together and have a fraction of the light and air that the poor do. Unless they buy on a high floor in these new towers.

That seems like a good idea - build a fucking 70 story high rise in a highly volatile earthquake zone.

R2 It's almost like there's technology to mitigate the impact of earthquakes or something.

The creep of luxury housing farther east of Figueroa will end badly. Thus far, it's only a block and a half east of Fig. This is three blocks east.

There are three well-known rival gangs that operate in that space. Unless there is 24/7 armed security, this project will fail.

WHY ??

These New York companies want to destroy L.A. and turn it into another soulless dump.

r4 It's called gentrification

r5 Didn't L.A. invent American soulless dump? Nothing but endless sprawl and unending strip malls.

r3 - umm yeah. Let me tell you about that. There has never. Ever been a technology that can reduce hte impact of a magnitude 9 quake. You know why? There is no way to test it because never been one. I was in Van Nuys for the Northridge quake back in the 90s when I was kid. We lived in a supposed earthquake proof building...yeah guess what was declared unlivable after the quake? And that was a 6.5.

damn, that's ugly. looks like it belongs in Miami not LA

There have been only five 9.0 or higher earthquakes in recorded history. Seismologists estimate that the largest earthquake possible in downtown LA is in the 6.5-6.8 range. Enough to damage old (brick) buildings, but unlikely to topple buildings designed to withstand quakes. How do you think those massive high rises in Japan survive?

Those deathtraps creep me the fuck out. I'd rather live on Skid Row that be up in that thing.

WHOA! As I am reading this there an ad on TV to download the “My Shake” app for anywhere in California. You know, for earthquakes.

A HIGH rise in Los Angeles? Hahahahaha

Up until the mid 60's L.A. had ordinances preventing the building of skyskrapers, so they've been playing catchup. Also helps that the technology exists to build things that can survive an earthquake

The USGS has some tangible estimates on a "Strong" or "Major" event in Los Angeles in the next 30 years: There's a 60 percent chance that it'll be an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.7m. ... There's a 31 percent chance that it'll be an earthquake measuring magnitude 7.5m. Japan had a 9 in the ocean and it caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. It destroyed whole provinces in Japan. The San Andreas Fault runs throught he state of California. It is where two contienets meet. A slip on that....on land? Yeah no thanks.

It’s not as if the builders will live there, R14.

Gang problems will not interfere with any decision maker involved in the building process. These are problems dropped on subcontractors.

It's a good thing that LA has such good public transportation to support higher density populations. Any other city that wasn't so walkable and this would be unthinkable.

Eyeroll.

I’m not sure what makes it any uglier than most skyscrapers, a big metal box in the sky. They are beautiful as a group in skylines. But most high rises aren’t that interesting.

R16 Worry not, it'll sit on a 9(!) storey parking garage podium. Transport problem solved!

R18 - yes, having places to park cars really reduces traffic congestion.

I didn't think I needed to point out I was being sarcastic, but of course I did.

Ladies there are pre-war brick and concrete structures still standing in LA. The strongest earthquakes that can occur along this fault are not going to be able to topple any building like this. You can snort and say that you know better but the mathematics of structural engineering are factual, not gay whim based so keep your stress to yourself.

Re the gangs, I’ve been down there a few times over the last month, it’s all Whole Foods and independent fashion stores and salons, art galleries and gyms, not exactly gang territory. The fiction on this website is something else :)

I’m not the ideal target for such a building, being scared of heights, but it really does look hideous. I pity everyone living near it. There is something deeply inhuman about living so far up in the sky, not even able to have a real connection to life on the ground around you.

You know, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to build such high skyscrapers in an area prone to large earthquakes.

I don’t think it’s ugly; it just belongs in Miami.

[quote] Ugly-ass new high rise

I'm unfamiliar with the American argot.

I just wonder what is the purpose in including "-ass" in the above phrase?

No one wants to live in downtown LA. It's homeless ground zero. Not safe to walk around there during the day much less the evening.

Stupid idea.

R26 plenty of ppl want to live downtown. You think they’re building this for the lols?

It will spoil the beauty of downtown Los Angeles's skyline!

LA has a skyline?

Where exactly is the building's ass? I have never heard of a building having an ass.

R30 What, you never-ass heard of a building-ass having-ass an ass?

You obviously-ass don't know how to talk-ass gibberish!