Wells Fargo Center | Los Angeles Conservancy
Photo by Michael Locke

Wells Fargo Center

Now known as Wells Fargo Center, the complex at 333 South Grand was designed by the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Although the design of the complex is based on the conventional ground plan of two towers flanking a smaller building (like the earlier ARCO Towers), the architects put a twist on Corporate International "glass box" design by giving these towers parallelogram-shaped bases with sharp angles soaring into the sky.

The towers and central building are clad in light reddish-brown granite, signifying the beginning of the movement away from black, grey, and silver as the color of choice for corporate high-rises. All three buildings are linked by a plaza/promenade that is punctuated by trees, benches, and large sculpture.

The low building between the towers houses shopping and dining areas. The interior is atrium-style, designed by noted landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who also designed the Bunker Hill Steps. Trees, fountains, and the use of exterior materials such as rough-hewn granite give the atrium a park-like atmosphere. Bronze nudes by Los Angeles-based artist Robert Graham adorn a network of pools and fountains.

Exterior of The Trust Building. Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

The Trust Building

When the Title Insurance and Trust Building opened it was called the “Queen of Spring Street” due to its great size. In 2020 it reopens as The Trust Building following a full rehabilitation.
HSBC Tower
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

Figueroa Tower

At the corner of West Seventh and South Figueroa Streets is a curious sight, combining the characteristics of the historic French Chateauesque style with the sleek verticality of a modern high-rise office building.