"An undulating timber canopy references the famous Marilyn Monroe 'flying skirt' moment; the reference to Hollywood resonating with LA's celebrated street culture," said Koichi Takada Architects.

Sydney-based architecture firm, Koichi Takada Architects and Crown Group Developers have unveiled the design for ”Sky Trees”, a 70-story mixed-use tower in downtown Los Angeles. The project is inspired by California’s redwood trees and Marilyn Monroe’s iconic wind-swept skirt.

"Our vision is to make the tower the healthiest place you can live in downtown LA," said Koichi Takada Architects. "We want to humanize tall buildings, to celebrate the pedestrian activities and consider how people experience it. 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 neighborhood."

Located at 1111 South Hill Street, the project includes clustered towers, clad with timber mullions that transformed into free-flowing wooden awnings at the base of the project. To improve the city’s air quality, the canopy will also include a "breathing green wall" that grows between the slatted timber exterior.

Sky Tree Rendering

An earlier design for a 53-story tower was submitted for approval in 2018. If the project gets the approval, it will be one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles with 528 apartments and 5,544 square foot of retail space behind the 73-story Wilshire Grand Center and US Bank Tower.

All Images © Koichi Takada Architects

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