When you look at the Los Angeles skyline, there is one building that basically demands you pay attention to it. It’s 900 Wilshire Boulevard. Most locals and tourists just call it the Wilshire Grand Center. It’s tall. Really tall. In fact, it's the tallest building west of the Mississippi River, depending on how you feel about architectural spires versus actual usable roof height.
Honestly, the story of 900 Wilshire Boulevard isn't just about glass and steel; it’s about a massive gamble on the future of Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). For decades, the site was home to the original Wilshire Grand Hotel, a 1950s landmark that felt increasingly out of place as the city tried to modernize. Then came Korean Air and the Hanjin Group. They didn't just want to renovate; they wanted to scrape the site clean and build something that looked like it belonged in the 21st century.
Construction finished around 2017. Since then, the building has become a sort of lightning rod for discussions about urban density, luxury hospitality, and whether or not LA can ever truly have a "walkable" core.
Why 900 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles California Changed the Skyline Forever
If you’ve ever flown into LAX at night, you’ve seen the LED lights shimmering off the top of this beast. It tops out at 1,100 feet. But here is the thing about that height: a good chunk of it is that spire. Before 900 Wilshire Boulevard came along, the U.S. Bank Tower held the crown. There was actually a bit of a local "spire war" because the U.S. Bank Tower has a flat roof—historically required by LA fire codes for helipads—while the Wilshire Grand got a special exception.
The architects, AC Martin Partners, did something pretty smart. They moved away from the "box" look that defines most of the 1980s-era towers in the Financial District. Instead, they went with a sail-like shape. It’s sleek. It’s reflective. It also features a sky lobby. Instead of checking in on the ground floor, guests for the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown—which occupies the upper floors—head straight to the 70th floor.
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The views? Unreal. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Catalina Island. On a smoggy day, well, you see a lot of beige. But the engineering required to keep a building that thin and tall stable in an earthquake zone is where the real genius lies. It uses a massive reinforced concrete core and "outriggers" that basically act like a person putting their arms out to balance on a tightrope.
The Mix of Business and Leisure
900 Wilshire Boulevard is a mixed-use monster. You have roughly 350,000 square feet of Class A office space. Then you have the hotel, which boasts about 900 rooms. It’s a city within a city. If you work there, you might never need to leave the building for lunch, dinner, or a drink.
Spire 73 is the name of the rooftop bar. It’s the highest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also incredibly windy. If you go, bring a jacket, even if it’s 80 degrees on the ground. The wind tunnels created by these skyscrapers are no joke. People often complain about the prices, and yeah, they’re high. You’re paying for the zip code and the altitude. But for a business meeting or a first date where you really want to impress someone with the scale of the city, it’s hard to beat.
The Economic Impact Nobody Talks About
We talk about the architecture a lot, but the money is more interesting. The project cost about $1.2 billion. Think about that for a second. That is a massive bet on a part of town that, frankly, has struggled with vacancy and social issues for a long time.
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The Hanjin Group took a huge risk. This wasn't a safe bet like building another luxury condo in Santa Monica. This was a statement of faith in the Financial District. It created thousands of construction jobs and continues to employ hundreds of people in hospitality and building management. However, the timing was tricky. Just a few years after opening, the world hit a pandemic that changed how people view office space.
Empty desks are a problem for everyone in DTLA right now. 900 Wilshire Boulevard isn't immune to that. While the hotel side usually stays busy because of its proximity to the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) and the Convention Center, the office market in Los Angeles is currently "soft," to put it gently. Real estate experts like those at CBRE or JLL have been tracking these vacancy rates, and while 900 Wilshire is a "trophy" property—meaning it’s the last place companies would leave—the surrounding area still feels the squeeze.
Logistics of the Location
Getting to 900 Wilshire is actually easier than most places in LA, provided you aren't trying to drive there at 5:00 PM on a Tuesday. It sits right near the 7th Street/Metro Center station. You can take the Red, Purple, Blue, or Expo lines right to the doorstep. This is a big deal. In a city where cars are king, 900 Wilshire is one of the few places where "transit-oriented development" actually makes sense.
If you are driving, though, the parking situation is exactly what you’d expect from DTLA: expensive and complicated. Valet is the standard for the hotel, and it will cost you a pretty penny. Most locals know to look for nearby lots on Flower or Hope Street if they want to save ten bucks, but even then, you're looking at a hike.
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What People Get Wrong About the Building
A common misconception is that the building is just a hotel. It’s not. There are massive tech firms and law firms tucked into those middle floors. Another thing? People think the spire is just for show. While it definitely helps with the "tallest building" title, it also houses critical communication equipment.
There's also this idea that the building is "un-LA" because it’s so vertical. But if you look at the history of Wilshire Boulevard, it has always been the spine of the city’s expansion. From the Miracle Mile to the luxury towers of Westwood, Wilshire is where LA shows off. 900 Wilshire Boulevard is just the exclamation point at the start of that sentence.
Real-World Advice for Visiting or Working at 900 Wilshire
If you’re heading there for a meeting or a stay, don't just stay inside the lobby. Walk a block over to the FIGat7th shopping center for a more "normal" lunch if you don't want to spend $40 on a hotel salad.
For the photographers: the best shot of the building isn't from the base. You can’t even see the top because the "sail" obscures it. Head over to the Department of Water and Power building (the John Ferraro Building) or the overpasses near the 110 freeway. That’s where you get that iconic "Blade Runner" vibe that people love.
Practical Steps for Navigating 900 Wilshire Boulevard
Whether you're a business traveler, a local looking for a rooftop drink, or a commercial real estate nerd, here is how you handle 900 Wilshire Boulevard without the headache.
- Public Transit over Parking: Seriously. Use the Metro. The 7th Street/Metro Center exit is literally steps away. You save $40 on valet and avoid the nightmare of the 110-to-Wilshire offramp.
- Reservations are Mandatory: If you’re trying to go to Spire 73 or La Boucherie (the high-end steakhouse inside), do not just show up. They are often booked for private events or at capacity with hotel guests. Check their site or OpenTable at least 48 hours in advance.
- Layer Up: The temperature difference between the street level and the 73rd floor can be 10 degrees, and the wind makes it feel like 20.
- Explore the Pedestrian Path: The area around 900 Wilshire has been improved with wider sidewalks and better lighting. Walk to the Central Library or Pershing Square. It’s one of the few parts of LA that actually feels like a "real" city.
- Check the Event Calendar: If there is a major game at Crypto.com Arena or a massive convention, the traffic around 900 Wilshire will be gridlocked. Plan your arrival for at least an hour before you think you need to be there.
The Wilshire Grand Center isn't just a skyscraper; it's a marker of how far Los Angeles has come from being a "collection of suburbs in search of a city." It’s centralized, ambitious, and slightly chaotic—just like the city itself.