handel architects designs LA's third-tallest tower 'angels landing'

‘angels landing’ to land in bunkers hill

Handel Architects unveils the design of ‘Angels Landing,’ which will soon introduce the third tallest building in Los Angeles. The development will feature two mixed use towers — the shorter rising 494 feet (150 meters), and the taller rising 854 feet (260 meters) at sixty-three stories.

The mixed-use project will bookend Downtown LA’s Bunker Hill neighborhood while opening up with a generous public space at the street level. It will introduce 432 residential units — including affordable housing — two hotels, commercial space, and 50,000 square feet of retail. Angels Landing will transform the site which has most recently served as a temporary park ‘Angels Knoll.’ What’s more, the development will include as a multi-level plaza that integrates the 1901-built trolley ‘Angel’s Flight.’

images courtesy Handel Architects | @handelarchitects

marking the skyline of downtown la

With Angels Landing, Handel Architects will re-imagine the skyline of Downtown LA alongside co-developers MacFarlane Partners and the Peebles Corporation, both minority-owned firms. The work will be the tallest building in the US built by Black developers. The group notes that upon its completion, expected in 2027, the project will ‘reshape the real estate landscape where urban planning and architectural design are fused together to form a world class destination.’

a multi-leveled podium will gradually climb upward to California Plaza

the stepping plaza by handel architects

Handel Architects designs Angels Landing with a public podium, which will take shape as a series of cantilevered floors and terraced levels that gradually climb upward to California Plaza, an existing park which will be integrated into the new complex. Connecting the Financial District, the Historic Core, and the Cultural District, the ground level and its immediate surroundings will become a confluence of storefronts and gathering spaces. With thoughtful architecture and landscaping the design will encourage the fluid movement of people throughout the lively area.

The team notes: ‘Its impact, unmatched on the eastern skyline, will rival those of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, drawing visitors and creating a new, welcoming destination for Los Angeles.’

a system of vertical louvres will wrap the facade, with tighter spacing near ground level

a facade wrapped in sunshades

The towers will take shape with an array of steel support beams, which will be exposed at ground level where the towers meet the multi-level podium. The facades will be wrapped in a system of vertical louvres, shading the interiors from the LA sun and passively cooling the space. This array will be more tightly spaces nearer to the level of the street, expressing a more human-scaled rhythm. The louvres, along with the curtain wall facade, will be interrupted with vertical rows of balconies, emphasizing the verticality of the tower and introducing compositional interest.

the landscaped plaza will encourage the fluid movement of people