Desmond Tower

Built in the late 1920s, the historic Desmond Tower, located along the Miracle Mile, consists of an 11-story tower and a two-story base building. The property is most noted for its Art Deco landmark tower, which was designed by famous architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood.

Although the historic structure was constructed in a time when building systems were simple, this actually makes future renovations more complicated. For example, this office building is built of cast-in-place concrete and concrete masonry units (CMU) in-filled with concrete and rebar.

Exterior-wall finishes mix everything from painted plaster to bas-relief in the façade, while interior finishes range from gypsum boardwalls to polished concrete, terrazzo and vinyl flooring.

Marx|Okubo assessed this unique property for redevelopment, which was a challenge due to the historic nature of the building and the unique configuration of the small floor plate within the tower.