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Two California Plaza
Downtown Los Angeles Skyscrapers-edit1 (cropped).jpg
Two California Plaza (left), One California Plaza (right).
Alternative names Deloitte & Touche Building
General information
Type Commercial offices
Location 350 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, California
Coordinates 34°03′05″N 118°15′05″W / 34.051389°N 118.251389°W / 34.051389; -118.251389
Construction started 1990
Completed 1992
Owner CIM Group
Height
Roof 228 m (748 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 52
Floor area 123,542 m2 (1,329,800 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators 26
Design and construction
Architect Arthur Erickson Architects
AC Martin Partners
Developer Metropolitan Structures West
Structural engineer Martin & Huang International
Main contractor Hathaway Dinwiddie

Two California Plaza is a very tall building, called a skyscraper. It stands about 750 feet (228 meters) high. You can find it in the Bunker Hill area of downtown Los Angeles, California.

This tower is part of a bigger plan called the California Plaza project. This project includes two special skyscrapers: One California Plaza and Two California Plaza. The area also has the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA). There's also the Colburn School of Performing Arts and the Los Angeles Omni Hotel. A beautiful water court, about 1.5 acres large, is also part of the plaza.

History of Two California Plaza

Two California Plaza was finished in 1992. The Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company built it. This skyscraper has a lot of office space, about 1.3 million square feet.

Who Designed the Building?

The famous architects at Arthur Erickson Architects designed both towers. These buildings were recognized as the "Building of the Year" in 1997 and again in 2001. This shows how well-designed and important they are.

Building During a Tough Time

The California Plaza project was a huge plan that cost about $1.2 billion. It started in 1983. Two California Plaza was finished in 1992. This was a difficult time for real estate in downtown Los Angeles.

When the tower opened, only 30 percent of its offices were rented. Many office spaces in downtown Los Angeles were empty back then. It took almost 10 years before other big, tall buildings were built in the area again.

Original Plans for California Plaza

The first plan for California Plaza was to build three tall office towers. However, only two were completed. The third tower, called Three California Plaza, was planned to be 65 floors tall.

It was going to be built near 4th Street. This spot is now an entrance to the Pershing Square subway station.

The Museum of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was built as part of this project. Its construction cost $23 million. This was part of a deal between the city and the developers, Bunker Hill Associates.

The developers were allowed to use a large piece of public land, about 11 acres. In return, they helped build the museum.

New Owners and Improvements

In 2012, the owner at the time, MPG Office Trust, had to give up the property. A company called Deloitte had rented space there since 2000. They moved to a different building nearby in 2014.

Later in 2014, a new company called CIM Group bought the building. They worked to make the restaurants and shops in the plaza better. The plaza was already popular, but it needed some updates.

The California Plaza courtyard has a special fountain with dancing water. You can also find the top station of the Angels Flight funicular railway there. The plaza also connects to the Museum of Contemporary Art and an apartment building.

Two California Plaza in Movies

You can see clear shots of the tower being built in the 1991 movie Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.

Who Works There?

Many different companies have offices in Two California Plaza. Some of the well-known tenants include:

  • Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
  • Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
  • City National Bank (California)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Two California Plaza para niños

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