First Look at Sky-Scraping Observation Deck Coming to the US Bank Building

The 72-story US Bank Tower is finally getting an observation deck that'll be open to the public in 2016 and, thanks freshly released renderings, we're getting a glimpse of what to expect from the tourist trap that will soon sit atop what is, for now, the tallest tower in the West. The sixty-ninth and seventieth stories of the 1989 building are set to become OUE Skyspace LA, a swanky, indoor/outdoor, 360-degree viewing area. The open-air observation deck will be 1,000 feet above DTLA, says a rep for the project, making it California's tallest.

The observation deck will be managed by Legends, the same company that operates the one on top of One World Trade Center in New York. The new vantage point will feature "multiple interactive technology exhibits" designed to offer an additional attraction when the view gets old. The renderings for the space show lots of stone and gold, including a curtain of what looks like golden chainmail in the Skyspace lobby. Take note, those planning a wedding or bar mitzvah: there will also be special event space for rent up here.

An interior staircase with connect the two floors of the observation area; up on the seventy-first floor, there will be an equally awesome and complete view from a new restaurant now in the works. The rest of the space in the building, including the seventy-second story, will continue to be office space.

New owners of the building, Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd. (OUE Limited), are spending $50 million on renovations to the entire building; those will include a revamped façade along Fifth Street, a renovated entrance at Hope Place, a new entrance on the second level that will lead to Skyspace, and upgraded elevators to handle all that increased traffic. Meanwhile, a gigantic video screen measuring 126 by 17 feet will run along a wall of the lobby, visible to everyone passing by. Powerhouse architecture firm Gensler is in charge of design for the project, which is expected to be complete in mid-2016.

Once it opens, the Skyspace will charge $25 a head to get in and be open from 9 am to midnight, says the LA Times. It will then enjoy a brief period of being the only observation deck in DTLA. The Wilshire Grand, when it's finished in 2017, will be 73 stories tall and have its own sky-high observation deck and restaurant, plus an infinity pool.

· West Coast's Tallest Tower Finally Getting Sky-High View Deck [Curbed LA]