Bullocks Wilshire Building vs Dominguez–Wilshire Building


Comparing the Bullocks Wilshire Building and the Dominguez–Wilshire Building is interesting because they both stand in Los Angeles, CA, and were completed just one year apart, but they were designed by different architects.
This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.
Height & Size
The Bullocks Wilshire Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 240ft (73m) with 12 floors above ground, while the Dominguez–Wilshire Building reaches 0ft (m) with 10 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.
Architectural Style
Both the Bullocks Wilshire Building and the Dominguez–Wilshire Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.
At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Parkinson & Parkinson and Morgan, Walls & Clements followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.
Uses
The Bullocks Wilshire Building is primarily education, while the Dominguez–Wilshire Building is primarily commercial.
Originally, the Bullocks Wilshire Building was designed for retail, but over time it was converted to education. The Dominguez–Wilshire Building by contrast has maintained its original role.
Structure & Facade
These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.
Bullocks Wilshire Building | Dominguez–Wilshire Building | |
---|---|---|
Parkinson & Parkinson | Architect | Morgan, Walls & Clements |
1928 | Construction Started | 1928 |
1929 | Year Completed | 1930 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
Education | Current Use | Commercial |
12 | Floors Above Ground | 10 |
21,368 m² | Usable Area (m²) | 6,690 m² |
Frame | Structure Type | Frame |
Steel | Vertical Structure Material | Reinforced Concrete |
John G. Bullock | Developer | The Dominguez Family |
CA | State | CA |
Los Angeles | City | Los Angeles |
3050 Wilshire Boulevard | Address | 5410 Wilshire Boulevard |