Nothing's set in stone, but the project is already making history. In what Guinness Word Records judges have officially recognized to be "the largest uninterrupted slurry pour on record,"crews were working through the night to complete the almost twenty hour pour on Valentine's Day weekend. After 2,000 truckloads and 21,200 cubic yards of concrete, the foundation for the New Wilshire Grand has bested even that of the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.¹ Funded by Korean Air at an expected cost of $1 billion, the new Wilshire Grand is supposed to stand as the tallest building west of the Mississippi at 1,100 feet tall.

Yet, this awesome sight isn't just meant to make your eyes sore. The new Wilshire Grand will be a luxury hotel and mixed-use building, fine enough to host guests the likes of whom have included President Ronald Reagan, President Kennedy, and Pope John Paul II (see timeline). Composed almost entirely of glass to let in ample natural light, digitally created images for the new Wilshire Grand show it gleaming among the various shades of grey in LA Downtown's skyline, boasting an elegant curve perhaps comparable to that of Dubai's decadent hotel, the Burj al Arab, situated on its own mini island close to the city's coastline.

Urban planning-wise, the new Wilshire Grand is set to open up public transit with 1,000 more parking spaces, increasing access to major attractions like Staples Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. An additional economy-booster, supposed to bring in 1,750 when it opens officially in 2015, the hotel is promising Downtown a make-over that's more than just cosmetic.²

By Samantha Ching

¹Joel Rubin and Thomas Curwen. "New Wilshire Grand Concrete Foundation in Place After Record Pouring." Los Angeles Times 16 Feb 2014. Web.