The Wilshire Beverly Center is a landmark building in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

Location

The building is located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and

Beverly Drive Beverly Drive is a major north–south roadway in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. Location South Beverly Drive South Beverly Drive begins northbound at Harlow Avenue, a small street just north of the Santa Monica Freeway in the city of Los An ...

in the City of Beverly Hills.Wilshire Beverly Center

Los Angeles Conservancy The Los Angeles Conservancy is a historic preservation organization in Los Angeles, California. It works to document, rescue and revitalize historic buildings, places and neighborhoods in the city. The Conservancy is the largest membership based ...

L.A. Realty Partners
/ref> The exact address is 9465 on Wilshire Boulevard.

History

It was designed in the

International Style International style may refer to: * International Style (architecture), the early 20th century modern movement in architecture *International style (art), the International Gothic style in medieval art *International Style (dancing), a term used in ...

by renowned architect Victor Gruen (1903-1980) and completed in 1962. It was built by the Buckeye Construction Company, whose founder and CEO was

George Konheim George Konheim (1917–2001) was an American real estate developer and philanthropist. Early life George Konheim was born to a Jewish family in Akron, Ohio in 1917.Dennis McLellanGeorge Konheim, 84; Leading Developer, Philanthropist '' The L ...

(1917–2001). It spans 184,000 square feet over nine floors. Underneath the building, there are three levels of subterranean parking. In the context of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, they were also meant to enable 4,000 people to live there for fourteen days in the event of a nuclear attack. Over the years, it has been home to the largest Bank of America branch in the United States. Additionally, it has been the headquarters of airline companies and a medical center. It currently houses Chase bank, among other tenants.

References

Buildings and structures in Beverly Hills, California Commercial buildings completed in 1962 International style architecture in California {{California-struct-stub