Since before Los Angeles became a city, people have been gathering at Pershing Square. Our design for Park Fifth—427 W 5th, on the north corner of Pershing Square—honors the area’s legacy while gesturing toward LA's contemporary future. A full-height marquee honors the location’s iconic past as the Philharmonic Auditorium. LED fixtures are unseen in a metal housing until nightfall, when a recall of the historic marquee is illuminated into view.
Our design was informed by the people who visit Pershing Square and use nearby transit corridors, as well as studies of sunlight patterns. Facing south, towards the square, the building’s wide facade is a composition of vertical and horizontal groupings that bring welcoming scale, balance, and a vertical movement guiding the eye upwards. A stone expression at the pedestrian level references the building’s historic neighbors before giving way to the strong vertical gesture of modern metal and glass above.
In 2014, changes to Los Angeles high-rise building code revealed a way to exclude previously mandatory rooftop helipads. While this change did create opportunities for sculptural rooftops, it did nothing to improve the typical layout of small amenity decks dwarfed by large roof mechanical systems. Park Fifth became our opportunity to technically innovate and turn this crucial rooftop space into a useable amenity for people.
After months of iterations, extensive computer modeling, and close collaboration with multiple city departments and Nabih Youssef Associates Structural Engineers, our team successfully appealed to redefine the 240-foot height restriction. By moving mechanical systems to the space previously defined for a helipad, we created an entirely new floor of leasable space.
Park Fifth’s stunning rooftop amenity is wrapped with luxurious outdoor spaces, each offering dramatic views of the city. The sunny west deck is complete with a pool, spa, and inviting cabanas. At the apex of the marquee façade is an outdoor fireplace where residents can relax, sheltered by the illuminated structure as it meets the soaring gull wing.
Targeting LEED Gold, Park Fifth uses wastewater collection and rainwater harvesting to meet cooling and irrigation needs, which in turn shrinks water use by 35% annually (over 6,000,000 gallons). An underground parking garage offers tenants and guests easy access into their high rise home. Our uncompromising technical rigor and dedication to historical research resulted in a timelessly elegant high-rise that brings Pershing Square alive again for a new generation of Angelenos.