Hollywood studies massive billion-dollar spiral tower project

An extraordinary spiral building could be built on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, with vegetation on every floor and a 360-degree view. The subject of an ambitious project for the city, this office tower has just changed its design by doubling its budget.

Is this the office building of the future? Given the announced cost – a billion dollars – it is still unlikely. This office tower for the entertainment industry will have a name perfectly suited to the Hollywood district: The Star.

The 22-story project is planned for 6061 West Sunset Boulevard, just a few blocks from the Walk of Fame. The computer projections revealed by the architects are spectacular, as is often the case with this type of project. Each floor has its garden on large terraces, so you can work under the Californian sun. Trees await the visitor upon arrival in the lobby. The whole thing blends into a mixture of glass and green.

The concept offers a 360-degree view of the City of Angels with the Hollywood Hills on one side, the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles on the other and the Pacific Ocean in the distance to the west. . The building, which will have Netflix and film and television studios as neighbors, should also accommodate content creation companies for Hollywood.

“A true reflection of the workplace of the future”

The architectural firm behind the project is well known in France, and even around the world. It is one of the most prestigious firms on the planet, based in London. We know him because Norman Foster and his group Foster + Partners designed the Millau viaduct, the highest bridge in the world, 20 years ago.

The Star will therefore not be the only memorable construction by this architect, who also worked on the Hong Kong airport and the Gherkin, this very recognizable building in London, nicknamed “the pickle”, in the shape of a pistol bullet. And then the architect also designed Apple Park, the new gigantic headquarters of the apple brand in northern California. The Star, if Norman Foster is to be believed, is “a true reflection of the workplace of the future, which cultivates community, well-being and collaboration”.

Opening planned for 2029

Construction will not start before 2026 with an opening in 2029. The city of Los Angeles must already validate the concept. The previous project, half the price, had been canceled and the question is whether The Star is not too ambitious. Covid has changed habits. Many employees are working from home today. A quarter of office buildings in Los Angeles would even be empty today.

If we are to believe the Newmark firm, specializing in real estate, investment in office buildings in 2023 was less than half of what it was in 2022. And in the entertainment sector, the one targeted by The Star, the trend is towards economy. Studios plan to produce less content. Activity has not fully resumed after the long strike of actors and screenwriters last year.