1138 Wilshire, Los Angeles, California
From Archiplanet
 | 1138 Wilshire |
| Designer | West Edge Architects, Peter M. Mitsakos & Associates, Marina del Rey, California, USA |
| Location | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Date | March 2009 (construction commences) / to September 2010 (construction completion) |
| Building Type | Commercial Building |
| Climate | Mild Temperate |
| Context | Urban |
| Architectural Style | Modern |
| Builder | Pankow |
| Street Address | 1138 Wilshire Boulevard; Los Angeles, CA |
| Notes |
Contents |
[edit] Images
 North Elevation |
 Building Entry |
 South Elevation |
[edit] Discussion
| Building Details | |
| Client | PacTen Partners |
| Cost | to be determined |
| Area | 86,844 Square Feet |
| Stories | 7 |
| Height | 98' |
| Program | Class A Office, Fine Dining Restaurant, Cafe, 5 Levels of Subterranean Parking |
1138 WILSHIRE is an 86,844 SF seven-level commercial office building in the Central City West district, immediately adjacent to downtown Los Angeles. The development consists of three parcels - two side-by-side lots plus an existing building - and features Class A office space, a ground floor fine dining restaurant, corner café and five levels (198 spaces) of subterranean parking.
The deliberate use of setbacks both enhances the building’s appearance and creates sustainable design attributes. Setbacks occur twice along the Wilshire property line, once to establish an entrance plaza and then again progressing east to define a 15’ street-level garden court between the new construction and the existing building. The building’s mid-level zone is clad in glass and set back from the outside face on all four sides, separating the upper and lower portions of the building. The building’s upper portions are clad in terracotta tiles and fritted glass sunscreens.
The relatively shallow lease depth and windows on all fours sides (made possible by the setbacks) provide excellent access to daylight throughout each floor. Levels 1-4 each have their own covered deck, which provides outdoor area and natural ventilation for those floors. Despite their close proximity to adjacent properties, the east and west facades feature extensive use of glazing. The west wall specifically is recessed 5’ from the property line to permit protected, glazed openings for 25% of the wall, with additional portions set back an additional 5’ (10’ overall) on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th levels creating larger decks.
Lower portions of the development are clad in the same sandstone as the existing building. The overall effect brings the existing building into the composition and creates an inviting entrance plaza on Wilshire Boulevard. An outdoor dining space for the restaurant will be separated from the entrance plaza and the public sidewalk along Wilshire by a low garden wall.
