Sky Trees

Drawing inspiration from nature’s Californian Redwoods, one of the “oldest and tallest” trees in the world, our vision is to make the tower the healthiest place you can live in downtown LA. The project features an expressive canopy that incorporates a “breathing green wall” designed to improve the city’s air quality and introduce a unique landscaping feature to the downtown streetscape. It is our desire through a nature-inspired approach to architecture, to transform an old existing warehouse district into a healthy and organic neighbourhood in LA.

“By creating a balance between the artificial and natural environments, we can help create a living, breathing neighbourhood that will become an integral part of the future DNA of Los Angeles. Our nature-inspired approach to this project provides a platform for health and wellbeing for the residents, hotel guests and neighbours. It’s a tall high rise, but we humanize it with natural materials, vertical landscaping and engaging public elements.” Koichi Takada

With tall buildings, modern technology allows people the ambition to go higher and higher, but as you go vertical, issues can arise with the engagement to the pedestrian realm. The tall scale works in the context of the city but for a human scale, sometimes it can seem too tall.
An undulating timber canopy references the spreading roots of the Californian Redwood.

The canopy contributes to the walkability of the neighbourhood by engaging with the street level and bringing the high rise down to the human level. With its alluring, organic shape, the canopy has a dual purpose, serving as a public art piece while also providing shade and shelter for guests, residents and pedestrians.

The podium of the tower is eye-catching, designed with a strong consideration of human-scale, pedestrian & retail activity and how people experience it. In doing so, Sky Trees encourages public activation, creating yet another ‘Instagram moment’ for Downtown Los Angeles.