The Red Building

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Last Friday May 30th, as New Yorker’s dealt with yet another construction crane collapse, West Hollywood got its own sky crane! It went up in a single day at the Pacific Design Center. It was actually amazing to watch it being built. After 3 deadly crane collapses this year alone, the question that I have is are we supposed to trust these things as they tower over our homes and businesses?

Today the completed crane looms over the Pacific Design Center, taken from Huntley Ave. east of the site.

Trust or not the crane is heralding the arrival of the Red Building at the Pacific Design Center. Architect Cesar Pelli started working on the Blue Building in 1975. The Green Building was added in 1988 and now finally the complex will be complete with the addition of the Red Building. “When I started this I was a kid,” joked Pelli, now 80. “This is the longest project I’ve ever done, by far.” Pelli is perhaps best known for designing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These were the tallest buildings in the world, surpassing the Sears Tower by 33 feet, until 2003 when Taipei 101 was completed.

What are the challenges of making a RED building; well those of you who have owned a red car know the answer - Ultraviolet light attacks red, causing it to fade quickly. To ensure the building stays red for years, Pelli called for the glass to be colored with a chemical process similar to that which the ancient Assyrians used to make red glazed bricks. “After thousands of years, they’re still vibrant.” If only the Assyrians could see how their process is being used in the 21st century! They would have Buckwheat eyes for sure.

Petronas Towers