Los Angeles could soon be on the cusp of an architectural Golden Age, thanks to new revisions of the city’s municipal code.
On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced changes to a decades-long rule, requiring emergency rooftop helipads on tall buildings and skyscrapers. The move marks a dramatic shift in city law that would transform the nature of L.A.’s skyline which, until now, has been markedly drab.
Since 1974, all buildings of 75 feet or more have been required to feature helicopter landing pads in case of a fire. As a result, architects have been prevented from using the space for more creative means, contributing to the city’s notoriously flat skyline.
"Anyone who's been to New York or cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and even San Francisco can see how the tops of building can help to define the identity of a city," said Mike Woo, former Los Angeles City Council Member and planning commissioner. "But for Los Angeles, for years, we have limited ourselves."
Woo, who now heads the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona, pushed for the rule changes while he was in office.
Officials have since concluded that the 1974 municipal regulation doesn’t make much sense. They can only recall a single rooftop fire rescue in recent decades, and that occurred as far back as 1988. Furthermore, experts claim it would be unsafe for a helicopter to get so close to a building during a major structure fire.
Under the new regulations, buildings will finally be able to forgo the helipad requirement, so long as they as meet other safety mandates.
Council Member Jose Huizar, who helped spearhead the effort, called it a major achievement that will bring the city’s buildings out of the past.
Read more about Monday’s announcement here.