Since the pandemic shut down U.S. workplaces four years ago, employees have told designers they would like their offices to incorporate more of the outdoors. Now the architecture firm behind some of the world’s most recognizable buildings, including Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, and the Gherkin building in London, has come up with a striking response.

A $1 billion office tower proposed for a high-profile Hollywood intersection features garden-covered balconies that spiral from the ground floor to the top of the 22-story building. It aspires to be both an icon and an answer to those who want to feel a connection to the world beyond the four walls of corporate life.

Foster & Partners designed The Star that's planned for 6061 Sunset Blvd. The new design was released this week by Maggie Miracle, a local real estate developer and investor who is chairwoman and CEO of development company The Star LLC.

The Star “is an iconic, new creative office development designed to be a modern landmark in Hollywood and the future home to a global entertainment company,” the developers say on a marketing site for the project.

The renderings by London-based Foster & Partners replace an earlier design that Miracle unveiled in 2021 that was created by the Chinese firm MAD Architects. Miracle said her group wanted a new design that reflected office tenants' desire for more outdoor space, a trend that emerged during the pandemic as lockdowns required office employees to work from their homes.

The Star’s design features “a circular tower with jutting floorplates clad in white, and each level wrapped in a glass curtain wall,” according to Dezeen, a London-based publication that follows the design industry. “A series of terraces, covered in plants, dip into the building's facade as they ascend in a spiral pattern, giving the impression of green walls wrapped around the structure.”

The developers describe the tower’s design as having “naturally ventilated flexible floor plates [that] offer views in all directions and enhance well-being with each office floor having a series of external shaded and generously landscaped social garden terraces.”

Other plans for the all-electric building include using low-carbon concrete for the building construction to reduce energy consumption, and passive heating and cooling systems with cross-ventilation and solar shading, according to marketing materials. The developers didn't disclose details of project financing.

The city of Los Angeles has not yet approved the new building plan but Miracle expects construction to begin in 2026 with an estimated completion date of 2029, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Though The Star won’t be located directly on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it’s only a couple blocks east of a portion of the famous sidewalk embedded with stars that commemorate entertainment industry celebrities.

The visually distinctive office building designs from Foster & Partners include the Gherkin's pickle shape and the circular Apple headquarters that some compare to a flying saucer.

If built, The Star would join a long list of notable architecture in Los Angeles from various sources. Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall is known for its warped shape and bright-silver exterior. The Getty Center art museum, designed by Richard Meier, overlooks Los Angeles from a mountain perch with its sweeping curves.

The Star would also further the trend of adding outdoor space, balconies and rooftop decks that emerged during the pandemic. Dozens of U.S. office buildings have been retrofitted since the pandemic hit in March 2020, with amenities that encourage workers to get outside, either during breaks or to get work done.

Nigel Dancey and Patrick Campbell are leading the project for Foster & Partners. Salt Landscape Architects designed the gardens and outdoor spaces.