Hearst Castles
Three-building development in downtown LA moves forward

On November 6, Los Angeles City Council upheld the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the redevelopment of the 1913 Herald Examiner building on the southern end of downtown. The move effectively pushed forward the long-delayed scheme, which is being developed by Hearst Communications and—very significantly— includes construction of two nearby condominium towers by Morphosis.

The original EIR had been adopted in October 2006, but was appealed by Conquest Student Housing, a company that provides student housing at nearby USC. The November 6 council measure denied that appeal. The Mission Revival-style Herald Examiner building, at 1111 South Broadway, has been closed since 1989, when the Hearst-owned newspaper folded. According to the EIR, the renovated building will include 40,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of retail space. Preservation architect Brenda Levin, who has helped refurbish City Hall, the Wiltern Theater, and Grand Central Market, among other buildings, will oversee the building’s rehab.

Morphosis’s new towers, located on 1108 South Hill Street and 1201 South Main Street, will include a 24-story, 268-unit building on the site of the old Herald Examiner Press Building and a 37-story, 319-unit building, which will be built at the site of a former parking lot. Hearst would not release renderings, but according to the EIR both buildings will draw on the heavy structural grid of the Herald Examiner building for inspiration. For example the Hill Street building will have a concrete wall structural system, continuous concrete balconies, and exterior materials that could include terra cotta, red cement fiberboard, pre-finished sheet metal, or glass fiber reinforced concrete. The towers are expected to be completed by 2009 and 2010.

The project is also set to include a 50- foot-wide landscaped courtyard between the Herald Examiner Building and the new Hill Street building, and streetscape improvements including tree plantings, new sidewalks, and a possible new landscape median along Broadway.

Sam Lubell

Big Plans
11.28.07
Five teams unveil their plans for the future of Hudson Yards

MoMA Makeover
11.27.07
Jean Nouvel tweaks the museum's identity with an avant-garde new mixed-use tower

Review: Biennial Blahs
11.26.07
São Paulo’s International Biennial of Architecture suffers by comparison to its Niemeyer-designed venue

Art Inflation
11.19.07
A supersized Koons sculpture adds an arty touch to the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

Horsing Around
11.16.07
Sarah Lucas’ surreal statue is strangely at home in Central Park

Phyllis Lambert Celebrates Her 80th, Again
11.06.07
Events at NYU and MoMA honor the architect

Naval Battle along the East River
11.02.07
Though plans for new esplanade are still schematic, maritime advocates fear lack of boating facilities

Grate Expectations
10.17.07
MTA turns to designers for flood prevention

HERBERT MUSCHAMP, 1947–2007
10.03.07

Asymptote Approaches (Carbon) Zero
09.25.07
New massive Malaysian project firm’s biggest, greenest yet

The Future of Greenwich Street
09.20.07
AN presents the final designs for WTC 2, 3, and 4

Balmori in Bilbao
09.06.07
NY firm wins competition to design landscape around Guggenheim

Many Questions in Ground Zero Fire
08.23.07
As smoke clears, a cloud of frustration takes its place

Congestion Pricing Gets a Boost
08.14.07
DOT's $354 million grant is less than hoped, but Bloomberg calls it a 'major victory'

GSD (Finally) Chooses Dean
08.10.07
Harvard nabs Mostafavi from Cornell

Transbay Terminal Schemes Unveiled
08.08.07
At San Francisco’s City Hall, three teams present proposals

Space Balls
08.06.07
“Destination park” part of PLANYC’s investment in open space

Space Balls
08.03.07

Brooklyn Park Gets $40 Million Makeover
08.03.07
“Destination park” part of PLANYC’s investment in open space

Scarano Watch:
Striking Gold, Er, Subway
08.01.07
'Burg project nearly breaches L-train station

Gotcha!
07.30.07
The Times' great(ly misleading) eminent domain coverage

Atlantic Yards Blunders On
07.27.07
Marty places blame everywhere but with himself

Wash. Square Park Plans Shown
07.27.07
But not released, boding ill for new plans' success