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Gateway West Building facts for kids

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Gateway West Building
Century City 1978.jpg
Gateway West (with Century City neon sign) as viewed from Santa Monica Boulevard, 1978
General information
Status Demolished
Type Office
Architectural style International Style
Location 1801 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates 34°03′37″N 118°25′06″W / 34.06027°N 118.41842°W / 34.06027; -118.41842
Construction started December 1961
Completed 1963
Demolished 2015
Technical details
Floor count 13
Floor area 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect Welton Becket

The Gateway West Building was a tall office building in Century City, Los Angeles, California. It was special because it was the very first building constructed in Century City, a modern neighborhood created from a movie studio's old backlot.

What Was the Gateway West Building?

The Gateway West Building was an office building located in Century City, which is a part of Los Angeles, California. It stood at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and the Avenue of the Stars.

This building was about 173 feet (53 meters) tall and had 13 floors. It was designed in a cool, modern style called the International Style. The outside of the building was covered in shiny aluminum.

A Look Back: The Building's Story

Construction on the Gateway West Building began in December 1961. It was finished and opened in 1963. This building was very important because it was the first one ever built in Century City.

Century City itself was a brand new idea! It was built on what used to be the backlot (a large area for filming movies) of the famous 20th Century Fox movie studio. The plan was to turn this old movie land into a modern area with lots of tall buildings.

A famous architect named Welton Becket designed the Gateway West Building. He was known for his modern building styles.

Why Was It Important?

The Gateway West Building was more than just an office building. It represented the start of a whole new neighborhood. As the first high-rise building in Century City, it showed what the future of this area would look like.

The building stood for many years, but it was eventually torn down in 2015. It was demolished to make room for a big expansion of the Westfield Century City shopping mall.

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