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Christopher Martin
From the archives: Christopher Martin is a dyed-in-the-wool Angeleno. His father and grandfather both had long, productive careers as L.A. architects, and many of his own commissions have been centered in and around Los Angeles County. He has designed large public projects for clients such as the Los Angeles Police Department and the County Justice System, as well as academic buildings at institutions such as the California Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California. His son is also in the family business, making AC Martin a fourth-generation firm.
Now, Martin has reached a pinnacle in his career with the topping off of the tallest building west of the Mississippi. But the accolades this has brought certainly haven’t gone to his head. In fact, he said he didn’t realize that the height of the Wilshire Grand — 1,100 feet — would set a new record until an L.A. Times reporter brought this to his attention.
He does have a goal: He wants every Angeleno to visit the Wilshire Grand and ride the high-speed glass elevator up to the 71st floor to drink a glass of wine at the restaurant.
In anticipation of the skyscraper’s grand opening next year, Martin sat down with The Real Deal to discuss the hurdles his team faced , the transformation of the L.A. skyline and just how ridiculous he thinks the ballot initiatives are that would limit development.
