The skyline through time

In a column last year, I explained why Phoenix lacks the skyscrapers that are the defining feature of big cities. Why? It's complicated. Now, let's look at the Phoenix skyline through the years. Click on the image for a larger view.

Looking north on Central from Jefferson Street, we see Phoenix's first real skyline that emerged in the 1920s building boom. At left with radio towers is the Heard Building and beyond it the cap of the Security Building. At left, beyond the Hotel Adams, is the Professional Building.

Seen from the Courthouse Park, the Luhrs Building and art deco Luhrs Tower were among the most iconic structures from the 1920s skyline.

Another shot, this time from the Hotel Luhrs balcony, showcases the Luhrs Building and beyond it the Luhrs Tower.

Completed in 1929, the Hotel Westward Ho was the tallest building in the city for decades.

Here's a postcard from 1930, from a photo taken atop the Westward Ho. From left: the Professional Building, Security Building, Luhrs Building, Luhrs Tower, and Title and Trust Building. All are still standing.

This 1959 postcard shows a little-changed skyline downtown. The only addition is the white, mid-rise First National Bank building, now the centerpiece of ASU's downtown campus. The Depression, World War II, and peculiar nature of Phoenix's economy prevented construction of new skyscrapers until the late '50s and 1960s. The only downtown high-rise for decades would be the 1964 Arizona Title Company, an international-style tower developed by Col. Louis Himelstein. 

Phoenix's skyline had its star turn at the opening of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 movie "Psycho." Janet Leigh's character has a tryst at a downtown hotel.

By 1963, a trio of new international-style high-rises had been built in what became Midtown. They are, from left, the Executive Towers, Guaranty Bank Building, and initial tower at Rosenzweig Center. Guaranty, with the Cloud Club on the top floor, supplanted the Westward Ho as the tallest building in the state. You can see from old neighborhoods and Osborn School how much the new construction disrupted the city fabric and began a long decline of downtown. The City Council made no effort to keep high-rises downtown.

Another Midtown view from the early 1960s. Rosenzweig Center, foreground, was built on the family's original homestead. To the previous trio of skyscrapers, the "punch card building" and Mayer towers are completed or under construction. The lower Mayer project had a Playboy Club on the roof. Its 26-story big brother was headquarters of First Federal Savings and boasted an outside elevator to the top floor.

Looking north into Midtown from Palm Lane are, from center left, the First Federal Tower, U-Haul headquarters, Regency condo tower, and Del Webb's Phoenix Towers co-op. All were built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Looking south from Midtown to Downtown. The "punch card" building added floors and became the headquarters of Western Savings. Two new modest mid/high-rises have been added by the early 1970s, with two more bank towers to come in the 1980s. At one point, a developer floated building the nation's tallest building in the vicinity, far from FAA concerns. It went nowhere beyond the renderings  Western Savings intended to build a sibling to its gold-sheeted tower, facing inward around the lawn (below). But that never happened, either.

In 1971, the Phoenix Financial Center ("punch card building") doubled in height.

Downtown recovered some life with the 1972 completion of Valley Center, headquarters of Valley National Bank. Although VNB considered a Midtown site, President Walter Bimson insisted the largest bank in the state remain downtown. First National and the Arizona Bank followed with their own high-rises.

The downtown skyline had changed substantially by the late 1970s, with the Municipal Building and County Complex added in the mid-1960s, Arizona Title in dark blue glass, the three bank towers, and new Hotel Adams, Hyatt Regency to serve the new Phoenix Civic Plaza. Valley Center (now Chase Tower) is the only one with any architectural interest, built with angled facets on its glass to catch the sunrise and sunset. It's still the tallest building in the state.

Downtown looking south from Roosevelt, after Central and First Avenue were changed into one-way streets with a split south of Portland. Valley Center, with its blue-glass prisms, stands out. This is in the late 1980s and epitomized the bland, small skyline for such a large city.

Midtown in the 2000s, filled in with the Viad Tower, left, Phoenix Plaza, center, and USWest/Century Link tower, right. The nearest angled building was Phelps Dodge's headquarters until it was moved downtown. Viad was by far the most interesting building on the skyline until it was deformed by a sign at the roofline.

Another look at Midtown all grown up. Imagine if all these towers had been build in or near the downtown core. Now all served by light rail (WBIYB). (Michael Ging photo).

Taking off from Sky Harbor offers a view of the many towers added from the late 1980s on. Among them: new City Hall, 44 Monroe, Freeport McMoRan tower, The twin Renaissance Towers, Arizona Center, Sheraton, Bank of America tower, and CityScape. In the foreground is Union Station. (Eugene Scott photo).

Infill took off in downtown in 2020 in this south-facing shot.

The Midtown skyline as seen from the Willo Historic District.

This long-lens photo looks south from Willo into downtown. For decades, the Hotel Westward Ho, in the lower middle, was the tallest building in the state (Logan Seninski photo).

Downtown at night, 2022.

The skyline seen from South Mountain looking north in 2022.

Below: The right lens, angle, and lighting and today's Phoenix skyline offers an impressive look:

———————————————————————————
 

My book, A Brief History of Phoenix, is available to buy or order at your local independent bookstore, or from Amazon.

Read more Phoenix history in Rogue's Phoenix 101 archive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Ryan]

Will be seeing a few more buildings downtown constructed over the next few years, including a proposal for a new-tallest in Phoenix, Astra (mixed-use residential/office) at Van Buren between 2nd and 3rd avenues.

[DoggieCombover]

It's aways frustrated me that even
what should be the dense urban core is itself sprawled up Central.

[Jon7190]

Thanks for the interesting review of Phoenix's skyline.

The opening scene of Psycho goes from a pan of the city to zoom in on the hotel room, which if I recall correctly is actually in the Westward Ho.

Love the movie, but it always bugged me how the date given in the opening is in December, but then one of the early scenes at Janet Leigh's office has a character talking about how hot it is and they should go into the boss's office, which has air conditioning. It would have made more sense if the date was in or near summer. The lack of AC for the secretaries does somewhat make sense of Janet Leigh's impulse to take the company's money and run. Stick it to the man!

[Rogue Columnist]

Jon, I thought it was the Hotel Jefferson. I might be wrong.

[Jon7190]

Actually, I think you're right. I went back and looked at it. The zoom is actually a bit coy. It pans to a smallish hotel from a distance, which I presume is the Jefferson but you would know better than me, then jumps to a window that is too zoomed in to show the building but is certainly a stage set.

Anyway, it was a great opening shot of old Phoenix. Apart from the historical interest, it really set the mood for the movie well.

[Cal Lash]

Googling Jefferson Hotel History Phoenix az
Will provide your answer

[terry dudas]

Jon - can't help wondering how life is going for you in that marvelous urban paradise, Seattle. Light rail runabouts lately, or how about the Seattle Times sellout saga. Commente?

[James McAllister]

Jon,

Nice piece as is usually the case with you. As a History major I always appreciate your work. Thanks for taking the time to do the piece on Phoenix.