A Look at the Top of LA's Newest, Tallest High-Rise

The 73rd floor of the Wilshire Grand tower—soon to be the tallest tower in the West—was poured earlier this month and now work is started on the part that’s going to help it garner that "tallest tower" designation.

The steel beams that will create the skeleton of a glass sail atop the building are being put in, reports Urbanize LA, and that glass sail will eventually be topped by a spire. The spire will help the AC Martin-designed tower reach its 1,099-foot height, beating out the US Bank Tower’s 1,018-foot height.

The glass-sail-and-spire rooftop is a welcome addition to Los Angeles’s largely flat-topped skyline made possible by a relaxing of a Los Angeles Fire Department policy that required roofs to be flat to accommodate a big, flat helipad. The Wilshire Grand will be the first to take advantage of this update.

When complete, the Wilshire Grand will hold a 900-room hotel operated by InterContinenal Group, a rooftop pool and sky lounge, ballrooms, and office space. The tower is scheduled to open in March 2017.

• Steel Framework Rises for the Wilshire Grand's Crown [Urbanize LA]
• 12 Shots of the Future Tallest Tower in the West as It Hits Its Peak [Curbed LA]
• LAFD Finally Relaxes Los Angeles's Flat-Topped Building Policy [Curbed LA]