Design Commission to Weigh Request for New Sign Atop South Lake Avenue Building

The city Design Commission will look over an application by the owners of Corporate Center Pasadena for a review of their plan to install a new 26.25 square-foot internally-illuminated building identification sign on the north-facing parapet wall of the office tower building located at 251 S. Lake Ave.

The Design Commission is meeting online in a special meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug 11, to discuss the proposal and other design-related matters.

According to a Department of Planning and Community Development report, the owners of the property, CoreTrust Capital Partners LLC, want to install the sign, a logo of UBS, the multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Zurich, Switzerland, at the top of the northwest edge of the existing 10-story, approximately 140-foot tall office building.

The building is located on the west side of South Lake Avenue, south of Cordova Street and north of East Del Mar Boulevard. The office tower was constructed in 1970 and was developed to mirror the north office building tower, at 201 S. Lake Ave., that was constructed in 1965, creating the elevated courtyard plaza. Both office towers were designed in the Mid-Century Modern style by architect William Pereira, the Planning Department said.

The report added that the applicant has worked with Planning Department staff to adjust the signage location to be centered above the building’s vertical façade fins, in accordance with the design guidelines for sign placement to be respectful of the building’s architectural features.

The Planning Department has endorsed approval of the Consolidated Design Review, according to the report.

“As conditioned, the proposed building identification sign is consistent with the Sign Design Guidelines for the CD Zoning District,” the report read. “The scale of the sign elements is appropriate to the scale of the building, the sign is responsive to the building’s architecture, and is consistent with the signage in the commercial office complex while accommodating the corporate identity needs of the building’s tenant.”

Tuesday’s meeting is accessible to the public via Zoom.

To access, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85602600018, or call (669) 900-6833 and use the webinar ID 856 0260 0018.

Comments may be submitted in advance by email to mtakeda@cityofpasadena.net prior to the meeting day.

On the day of the meeting, comments of up to 200 words may be submitted through www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/publiccomment.