How a graffiti-covered, downtown skyscraper became a viral Halloween costume

Over the last year, the graffiti-pocked husk of the unfinished Oceanwide Plaza skyscrapers have haunted Los Angeles’ skyline, a beacon of disrepair and, for some, artistic expression. On Halloween, the plaza appeared to get up and simply walk away thanks to Xavier Mozejewski, a Hollywood set designer, who designed a wearable costume that looked just like one of the plaza’s three buildings. Xavier Mozejewski in his multistory Halloween costume. (Courtesy of Xavier Mozejewski) “Three days before Halloween I was working a job in Chinatown, driving on the 110 and saw the building and thought, ‘That’s it,’” said Mozejewski about coming up with his costume. “It was all over the internet for months. I think it’s just recognizable to everybody in L.A. In a weird way it’s super niche, but also recognizable. Everyone has had some sort of connection to it in a way.” Mozejewski’s costume represented the latest chapter in the colorful history of the abandoned plaza that many see as symbol of the city’s neglect and stubborn crime problem. In October, a Bankruptcy Court judge granted an extension for the sale of the towers, which are between 40 and 53 stories. There is now no date set for a...