100 Wilshire

100 Wilshire
Name	100 Wilshire
Location	Santa Monica, California, United States
Completion date	1971
Height	64.9 m
Floor count	14
Architect	William L. Pereira & Associates
Owner	RREEF America REIT II Corporation (past)

100 Wilshire is a high-rise office building in Santa Monica, California, completed in 1971. The tower occupies a prominent corner on Wilshire Boulevard near the intersection with Ocean Avenue and has been associated with corporate tenants, civic institutions, and real estate investors. Its presence intersects with regional planning debates involving the City of Santa Monica, the County of Los Angeles, and transportation projects led by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

History

The building was developed during a period of urban expansion that involved developers such as Trammell Crow Company, and financiers including Prudential Insurance Company of America and Equitable Life Assurance Society. Its 1970s opening coincided with policy debates in the California State Legislature and actions by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concerning coastal development and zoning. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the property changed hands between institutional investors including American International Group and Deutsche Bank-affiliate funds, while transactions often referenced market conditions shaped by the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation interventions, and the Savings and Loan crisis. Legal and regulatory matters involved the California Coastal Commission and litigation that engaged firms represented before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The building’s ownership timeline later included entities managed by DWS Group and RREEF America REIT II Corporation amid broader trends tracked by the National Association of Realtors and the Urban Land Institute.

Architecture and design

Designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, the structure reflects late Modernist principles similar to Pereira’s other projects such as the Transamerica Pyramid and the Los Angeles International Airport master plan. Its façade and massing draw comparisons to office towers by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and firms active in postwar Southern California, including Richard Neutra-influenced practitioners and César Pelli-adjacent designers. The lobby and public spaces were programmed with input from interior design firms collaborating with developers that also worked on projects for corporations like Bank of America and Pacific Bell. Landscape treatment at the site referenced practices common to design work featured in publications such as Architectural Record and Progressive Architecture, while municipal design review processes invoked standards used by the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Tenants and usage

Office occupants have included professional services firms, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and government-related offices. Tenancies historically involved law firms with cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, real estate brokerages associated with CBRE and JLL, technology startups connected to the California Institute of Technology and University of California networks, and satellite offices of media companies with ties to the Los Angeles Times and Billboard. Civic uses have included permits and hearings coordinated with the Santa Monica City Council and meetings involving the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Retail ground-floor engagement has featured restaurants and service tenants aligned with neighborhood commercial corridors promoted by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and Visit California.

Ownership and management

Ownership has passed through institutional investors, real estate investment trusts, and private equity managers such as DWS Group, RREEF, and other asset managers that report to boards influenced by fiduciary standards overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Property management operations have been provided by nationally active firms including Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, and CBRE, which administer leasing, maintenance, and tenant improvements in coordination with contractors registered with the Contractors State License Board. Transactions and valuation discussions often referenced indices produced by CoStar Group and research from the Pension Real Estate Association.

Renovations and seismic retrofits

Major renovations have responded to seismic safety standards promulgated by the California Seismic Safety Commission and building codes enforced by the Santa Monica Building and Safety Division. Retrofit work employed structural engineers familiar with performance-based design approaches used by the Applied Technology Council and retrofit techniques highlighted in reports by the California Geological Survey. Upgrades also incorporated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems meeting standards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and glass and curtainwall work specified by manufacturers used on retrofits for towers across Los Angeles County and Long Beach.

Cultural significance and in popular media

The tower’s presence on Wilshire Boulevard placed it within cultural narratives involving Southern California landmarks such as Santa Monica Pier, the Getty Center, and nearby Pacific Palisades venues promoted by Visit California and featured in coverage by the Los Angeles Times and Variety. Its exterior and plaza have appeared in location shoots coordinated with production companies working under permits from FilmLA and in photographic essays alongside images of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Dolby Theatre. The building figures in local histories compiled by the Santa Monica Conservancy and has been discussed in planning debates referenced by the Congress for the New Urbanism and the American Planning Association.

William Pereira Trammell Crow Company Prudential Insurance Company of America Equitable Life Assurance Society California State Legislature Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors California Coastal Commission United States District Court for the Central District of California DWS Group RREEF America National Association of Realtors Urban Land Institute Transamerica Pyramid Los Angeles International Airport Skidmore, Owings & Merrill César Pelli Richard Neutra Architectural Record Progressive Architecture American Institute of Architects National Trust for Historic Preservation United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit CBRE JLL California Institute of Technology University of California Los Angeles Times Billboard Santa Monica City Council Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Visit California Cushman & Wakefield Securities and Exchange Commission Contractors State License Board CoStar Group Pension Real Estate Association California Seismic Safety Commission Santa Monica Building and Safety Division Applied Technology Council California Geological Survey American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Los Angeles County Long Beach Santa Monica Pier Getty Center Pacific Palisades Los Angeles Times Variety FilmLA Broad Contemporary Art Museum Hollywood Bowl Dolby Theatre Santa Monica Conservancy Congress for the New Urbanism American Planning Association

Category:Skyscrapers in Santa Monica, California