L.A.'s Wilshire Grand Center Stands Tall With Fire Protection
From the open-air plaza on the 73rd floor of the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, the views extend to the southern California coast 50 miles out. With its distinctive rooftop spire making it the tallest building west of the Mississippi, the roof design is one of the most talked-about features of one of L.A.’s newest skyscrapers.
The project was granted an exemption from the city of Los Angeles code requiring buildings to have a rooftop helipad because of the addition of other fire safety features that would exceed the city’s fire code requirements, such as the reinforced concrete central core that contains a staircase solely for the use of firefighters in the event of an emergency.