5900 Wilshire Building vs AT&T Center

Comparing the 5900 Wilshire Building and the AT&T Center is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Los Angeles, CA, and were both designed by William Pereira & Associates. However, they were completed more than 6 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

Both the 5900 Wilshire Building and the AT&T Center were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The 5900 Wilshire Building was designed at a moment when the International Style style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the AT&T Center style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the AT&T Center was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the 5900 Wilshire Building and the AT&T Center were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The 5900 Wilshire Building also provides 135 parking spaces.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The 5900 Wilshire Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube structural system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the AT&T Center uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.