The Graffiti High-Rise Towering Over Grammys Ceremony

Guests walking the red carpet at Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena will have noticed the spectacular graffiti adorning an unfinished high-rise development looming large across the street.

At least 27 floors of the $1 billion Oceanwide Plaza three-tower development have been tagged after the LAPD revealed last Thursday that more than a dozen people broke into the site and rapidly painted walls, balconies and windows. Aerial footage of the buildings shows tags such as “set the pace,” “amen” and “dank.”

A view of graffiti on at least 27 stories of an unfinished skyscraper development located in downtown Los Angeles.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

The 40-story towers, part of a development that was to include a hotel and luxury condos, have been left unfinished after the project stalled in 2019. The complex’s Chinese developer, Oceanwide Holdings, ran out of money, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

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According to KTLA, taggers were reported to be seen at the property from Jan. 30 onwards. Thus far, the LAPD has arrested two men, ages 35 and 25, associated with the graffiti, both were cited for trespassing and released.

27 floors of unfinished L.A. luxury skyscraper tagged with graffiti.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

The LAPD Central Division tweeted Feb. 1 that it had met “with the property management and CD 14 representatives to collaborate on better securing the property and adding additional security measures.”

The LAPD added, “The measures will be implemented immediately and the graffiti will be removed.” Just not in time for the Grammy Awards, it seems.

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