U.S. Bank Tower
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| U.S. Bank Tower | |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 1987-1990 |
| Use | corporate offices |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | none |
| Roof | 310.3 m |
| Top floor | 294.92 m |
| Technical Details | |
| Floor count | 73 |
| Floor area | 121,167 m² |
| Elevator count | 24 |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Pei Cobb Freed & Partners |
The U.S. Bank Tower (Library Tower, First Interstate World Center) at 633 West Fifth Street in downtown Los Angeles, California is the seventh tallest building in the United States, the tallest North American skyscraper west of Chicago, the tallest building in California, and the tallest building with a helipad on the roof (required by the city building code). Standing 1,018 feet (310 m) high, it is also one of the tallest in the world (25th as of 2005). Until the construction of Taipei 101, it was also the tallest structure in a major active seismic region; its structure was designed to resist an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter Scale. It consists of 73 stories above ground and two parking levels below ground. Construction was started in 1987 and was completed in 1990. The building was designed by Henry N. Cobb of the architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and cost $350 million to build. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in Los Angeles, often used in establishing shots for the city in films and television programs.
The building is also known as Library Tower due to its location across the street from the Los Angeles Central Library; it was built as part of the $1 billion redevelopment of the Library following two disastrous fires in 1986. The City of Los Angeles sold air rights to the developers of the tower to help pay for the reconstruction of the library. The building was also known for a time as First Interstate World Center after being bought by First Interstate Bank. After First Interstate merged with Wells Fargo Bank the name Library Tower was restored. In March 2003 the property was bought by U.S. Bancorp and the building was renamed U.S. Bank Tower. Residents, however, generally continue to refer to it as Library Tower.
The tower has a large glass "crown" at its top that is illuminated at night. The crown is lighted with red, white, and blue on the 4th of July and red and green during the Christmas holiday season. It is also lit with purple and gold when the Los Angeles Lakers are playing in the NBA Playoffs and blue and white on Opening Day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On February 28, 2004, two U.S. Bank logo signs, each standing 75 feet (23 m) high, were installed on the crown, amid controversy for their effect on the aesthetic appearance of the building (as was the case previously when First Interstate Bank's logos were placed on the crown between 1990 and 1997).
Major occupants include:
- Latham & Watkins
- White & Case
- U.S. Bank
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[edit] Terrorist target
On June 16, 2004, the 9/11 Commission reported that the original plan for the September 11, 2001 attacks called for the hijacking of ten planes, one of which was to be crashed into the building.
On October 6, 2005, White House officials stated that the government had foiled a previously undisclosed second plot to crash a plane into the building in mid-2002. In a televised speech on February 9, 2006, US President George W. Bush asserted that American counterterrorism officials had foiled a plot to slam planes into "Liberty Tower".[1] He said that "Liberty Tower", in Los Angeles, was the tallest building on the West Coast. Commentators believe that Bush meant to say "Library Tower".
According to Bush, Al-Qaeda leader Khaled Sheikh Mohammed's plan was to use Asian confederates from Jemaah Islamiyah recruited by Islamic militant Hambali for the hijacking. Bush asserted the hijackers were going to use shoe bombs to breach the plane's cockpit door. Some counter-terrorism experts have expressed doubt that the plot was ever fully developed or likely to occur. Planning for the attack allegedly began as early as October 2001.
Some have claimed that the plot was exposed and foiled by waterboarding Khaled Sheikh Mohammed. Others have noted that the interrogation of Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured on March 1, 2003, could not have helped foil a plot which "was derailed in early 2002"[2].
[edit] Trivia
- The U.S Bank Tower was prominently featured in the 1996 science fiction film Independence Day, and was destroyed in the film as a result of an alien attack.
- The building also makes an appearance in the video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, in the city of Los Santos, a fictionalized version Los Angeles.
- The building makes an appearence in the video game Need For Speed: Underground as you Race in Downtown.
- The building makes an appearence in the video game(s) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
- The building makes a brief appearance in the 2005 movie The Island, sporting an additional antenna stack.
[edit] Gallery
 U.S. Bank Tower at night. Photographed near the end of Hope Street. |
 From Hope and 8th |
 U.S. Bank Tower from street level on Figueroa Street. |
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 As seen from Glendale |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- U.S. Bank Tower's official website
- Skyscraper.com's site on this building
- Outline of the 9-11 Plot (Staff Statement No. 16, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks)
- Washington Post, "Bush Says 10 Plots by Al Qaeda Were Foiled"
- Time-Lapse movies of U.S. Bank Tower
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
