AT&T Center vs MCI Center

Comparing the AT&T Center and the MCI Center is interesting because they both rise in Los Angeles, CA, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, William Pereira & Associates and The Luckman Partnership, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 8 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Los Angeles across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The AT&T Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 453ft (138m) with 32 floors above ground, while the MCI Center reaches 413ft (126m) with 31 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

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

The MCI Center 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 was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the AT&T Center and the MCI 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.

Both the AT&T Center and the MCI Center rely on a Frame structural system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

They also employ the same type of facade, 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.