Crown Group Unveils Marilyn Monroe Inspired LA Skyscraper

Sydney-based developer Crown Group has unveiled designs for a 63-storey residential tower in downtown Los Angeles.

The 528 apartment building, located at 1111 South Hill Street, will comprise 52,000sq m of gross floor area as well as 500 square metre of retail.

If realised, the building, dubbed Sky Trees, would be one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles, behind the 73-story Wilshire Grand Center and US Bank Tower.

This will mark developer Crown Group's first venture into the US market and fourth major project with Sydney-based architects Koichi Takada.

Previous projects include Arc, Skye, and Infinity, all located in Sydney.

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Koichi Takada highlighted that inspiration for the new skyscraper had been drawn from California’s gigantic redwoods, the “oldest and tallest” trees in the world, as well as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe and her “flying skirt.”

The ground level will feature a wave-like canopy for pedestrians in an attempt to challenge the car-dependant city to become a more walkable city.

The architects said the tower would become the “healthiest place you can live in downtown LA” transforming the old existing warehouse district into a healthy and organic neighbourhood.

“We want to humanize tall buildings, to celebrate the pedestrian activities and consider how people experience it,” Koichi Takada said.

“We want our tall building designs to be more engaging to the public to contribute to the community by activating and creating a connection with the neighbourhood.”

The project is one of many planned and under construction in L.A.’s South Park neighbourhood, which until recently, had been low-rise warehouses and commercial buildings.

If realised, Sky Trees will be flanked by nearly two dozen towers new high-rise developments that have been proposed or completed along the north-south Figueroa Corridor.

The current designs are currently before the City of Los Angeles after previous designs submitted for a 53-storey tower last year were retracted.