US Bank Tower in Los Angeles (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
Los Angeles ‘ most recognizable high-rise symbol, the US Bank Tower rises 310 meters in downtown Los Angeles. The 72-storey skyscraper is surrounded by other skyscrapers, but it stands out against their background thanks to its unusual round section, light facade and stepped architecture of strict lines striving upwards. Inside, everything is old-fashioned in the best sense of the word: colored marble inlay in polished floors, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, high-speed elevators and other elements of the style of millionaire businessmen. The only pity is that office clerks admire this splendor – it would be just right to place a five-star hotel in the Tower. See acronymmonster for nickname of Minnesota.
A bit of history
The US Bank Tower was built in two years, from 1987 to 1989. The construction cost a tidy sum of 350 million USD, but when it comes to government orders, of course, they don’t save on costs. Until 2004, the skyscraper was considered the tallest building in the world with a heliport on the roof, but with the opening of the Taipei 101 skyscraper, it lost its first position in the ranking and today is the tallest building in California and the tenth tallest in the United States.
The skyscraper has another name – Library Tower, under which it was known until 2003. This is due to the fact that the original construction of the Tower was planned as part of the Los Angeles Library beautification program.
What to watch
Today, the US Bank Tower houses offices, and most of them have nothing to do with the banking system. Entrance is by passes, and, unfortunately, there are no tours of the skyscraper. The only available option to get acquainted with the interiors is to dine in one of the several restaurants located in the skyscraper. But nothing will prevent you from enjoying the strict lines of the facades – the Bank Tower is perfectly visible from almost anywhere in Los Angeles.
Address
633, West Fifth Street, Los Angeles
Coit Tower
Coit Tower (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
Coit Tower rises on Telegraph Hill, where in the 19th century there was a semaphore that transmitted information about ships entering the port. It is named after Lilly Coit, who bequeathed considerable funds for the construction of a fire tower, from which the entire city is visible. Miraculously saved from a fire at the age of 7, years later she led a campaign for the establishment of a professional fire brigade. With age, the lady became very eccentric, smoked cigars, wore men’s suits, participated in firefighter parades. The name of a fan of the fire business is still on the lists of the San Francisco squad.
What to watch
The 64 m high concrete structure was erected in the Art Deco style, from its upper platform an incredible panorama opens up with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Russian Hill, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Lombard Street, the Transamerica Pyramid and many other attractions of San Francisco.
The interior walls are a huge mural “Life in California… 1934” in the style of Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros, painted by a group of young artists commissioned by City Hall.
People are captured in moments of hard work, strikes and demonstrations, in their hands are red banners and books by Marx and Trotsky. One of the paintings shows Lilly Coit taking part in putting out the fire.
Practical Information
Address: San Francisco, Telegraph Hill Boulevard, 1.
How to get there: by bus number 39 from Fisherman’s Wharf.
Opening hours: from April to October from 10:00 to 18:00, from November to March from 10:00 to 17:00. The price of an elevator ticket for adults is 6 USD, pensioners, students and schoolchildren – 4 USD, children under 12 years old – 2 USD, under 4 years old – free of charge.
Watts Towers
Watts Towers (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
The Watts Towers is a vivid example of the fact that in the city of mirrored skyscrapers, the most interesting thing is not skyscrapers, moreover, they are by no means mirrored, but assembled almost from improvised materials. A collection of 17 communicating towers up to 30 meters high is somewhat reminiscent of the futuristic buildings of Gaudi – which is not at all accidental: their creator Sabato Rodia was a native of Italy and managed to bring the sunny mood of his homeland to Los Angeles.
A bit of history
Sabato Rodia was born in the Italian town of Serino and moved to the States with his family at the age of 15. He spent his youth at ancillary work, and met his maturity as a quarry worker and tracklayer. In 1921, Rodia purchased a piece of land on what was then a derelict property on the outskirts of Los Angeles and began construction on what he named in Spanish, Nuestro Pueblo (“our village”). However, this did not look much like a village in the view of Sabato’s neighbors: incomprehensible twisting steel structures began to appear on the site, decorated with improvised materials: the bottoms of bottles, glass fragments, ceramic tiles and other things. It is clear that the conservative provincials did not like the exercises of the Italian emigrant, so the creation was often broken. However, Rodia did not despair: “I wanted to build something big and I will do it.
The construction of the Watts Towers took 33 years, as Rodia turned to creativity exclusively in his spare time.
In 1955, Rodia completed the construction of the towers, fell into some depression because people were little interested in his brainchild (and if they were interested, then with the aim of breaking something), signed off the site to a neighbor and went to live in another city. The structure gradually fell into disrepair until the Los Angeles City Hall decided to raze it to the ground. However, representatives of Bohemia stood up for the towers: actors and directors bought the site and organized a public committee. In 1975, the towers were donated to Los Angeles, and three years later they were taken over by the state of California.
What to watch
Watts Towers is an example of futuristic architecture with a touch of ethno and naive almost in the very center of Los Angeles. Seventeen structures of different heights have romantic names (such as “Ship of Marco Polo”) and communicate with each other. Inside the towers are hollow, which allows you to carefully examine the details of the supporting structures and marvel at the genius of this architect, not by education, but by vocation. Particular attention should be paid to the details of the decorations of the towers: the supporting beams are figuratively wrapped with wire, glass, tiles, ceramics, pieces of metal and shells are everywhere. By the way, in search of material, Rodia walked more than 30 km over rough terrain, carefully looking at his feet – that’s what passion means!
The Watts Center for the Arts, located next to the Watts Towers, hosts various exhibitions and cultural events, the plan of which can be found in advance on the center’s website.
Address and opening hours
Address: 1765, East 107th street, Los Angeles
Opening hours: Mon. and Tue. the towers are closed, but the structure can be observed from the street. From Wednesday to Sunday – from 10:30 to 16:00. There are guided tours every half an hour.
Entrance – 7 USD.
Address: 107th St, Los Angeles.
