Originally designed in the 1960s, two office towers along the Avenue of the Stars in Century City were connected by expansive concrete plazas—monumental in scale but lacking human comfort, shade, and a sense of place. As part of a comprehensive repositioning effort, these iconic structures have been thoughtfully reimagined to meet the evolving needs of today’s workforce and community. The reimagined campus weaves together architecture, circulation, and nature to create a cohesive and inviting urban experience. The site, which spans the grounds of two high-rise towers, is framed by a newly unified garden plaza that softens the architectural massing and enhances the connection between buildings, public spaces, and the surrounding city fabric.
The redevelopment restores the relationship of the towers to the street and to each other by removing the small pavilion and creating a strong new axial entry point into the courtyards. A new green street edge provides clear hierarchy for arrival. The buildings are
reskinned and replanned with two-story glass lobbies with generous overhangs, providing clear sightlines and comfortable access into the garden courtyards. The buildings and surrounding plazas are reimagined and repositioned as a unified and lush expression of a resilient workplace that also welcomes the public. The comprehensive transformation weaves together architecture, circulation, and nature to create a cohesive, open, and inviting urban campus.
The redesigned landscape spans approximately five acres atop the existing parking structure, replacing large areas of impervious concrete with a lush, garden-like setting. The landscape strategy emphasizes climate resilience using drought-tolerant and Mediterranean-inspired plantings, including mature specimen trees arranged in sweeping, organic compositions. These plantings soften the rigid urban geometry, introduce seasonal variation, and create a sensory-rich environment that encourages exploration and lingering.
Central to the design is the creation of a flexible, mixed-use outdoor workplace that supports wellness, productivity, and social interaction. A network of meandering pathways connects a variety of programmatic zones, including open lawns, shaded seating areas, and quiet garden rooms. Outdoor terraces, AV-enabled workstations, and enclosed meeting pods extend the functionality of the office beyond the building envelope, allowing users to transition seamlessly between indoor and outdoor environments. This integration of technology and landscape reflects evolving workplace expectations and leverages the region’s temperate climate to promote year-round use.
The site enhances productivity by offering diverse outdoor areas for work and socialization. Refined hardscape elements, including shaded canopies, textured paving, and reconfigured drop-off zones, are carefully interwoven with planting to define space and guide movement. These additions reinforce the site’s identity as an open, connected campus rather than a collection of isolated structures. The landscape also mediates between public and private realms, inviting the surrounding community into the site while maintaining areas of retreat and privacy for tenants.
As part of the broader Century City context, Anderson Towers contributes to the district’s evolution as a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented business hub. The project prioritizes connectivity, sustainability, and human experience, transforming a once underutilized and inward-focused property into a dynamic urban destination. The design integrates landscape with infrastructure to create a resilient campus environment to foster community and enhance ecological performance on the site.
Credits:
Anderson Real Estate, Client
Montalba Architects, Architecture, towers
KPFF, Civil Engineer
Engelkirk, Structural Engineer
WM Group West, MEP Engineer
Sean O’Connor Lighting, Lighting Designer
Sweeney & Associates, Irrigation
EGG, Signage/Wayfinding/Graphics
KRPS, General Contractor
Marion Brenner, Photographer
Kevin Scott, Photographer
1900 Ave of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067