Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building vs Bullocks Wilshire Building

Comparing the Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building and the Bullocks Wilshire Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Los Angeles, CA both were designed by Parkinson & Parkinson, and they were completed within 2 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Parkinson & Parkinson approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

Both the Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building and the Bullocks 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 Parkinson & Parkinson followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building is primarily residential, while the Bullocks Wilshire Building is primarily education.

However, both of them have shifted purpose since their completion. The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building evolved from commercial to residential, while the Bullocks Wilshire Building moved from retail to education.

The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building offers 74 residential units.

The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building also provides 98 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.