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American Cement Building Lofts
Built to house the American Cement Company's headquarters and to showcase the strength, construction advantages, and architectural possibilities of concrete.
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The American Cement Company's building on Wilshire Boulevard was built not just to house its headquarters, but to showcase the strength, construction advantages, and architectural possibilities of concrete.
A better showcase for the humble material cannot be found, as this building is both a triumph of structural engineering and a monumental piece of sculptural art. American Cement hired architectural firm Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall (DMJM) to realize its lofty vision, and the architects delivered with a thirteen-story reinforced concrete building capped by a zigzag roof.
It was completed in 1961. The office鈥檚 most striking feature is the enormous latticework of聽450 precast concrete 鈥淴鈥漵 covering its north and south fa莽ades like an exoskeleton. While sculptural in nature and visually striking,
the primary purpose of the latticework is to provide external support for the structural system so the building鈥檚 interior can be free of columns.
The resulting interior features high ceilings and large, open floors with expansive views across the city (through a dramatic series of 鈥淴鈥漵, of course). In 2002, the American Cement building was rehabilitated into seventy-one live/work lofts. Its exterior remains unaltered, an enduring testament to the power and, dare we say it, the beauty of concrete.
