In Die Hard, the fictional skyscraper taken over by Hans Gruber’s group is Nakatomi Plaza.
The building is the headquarters of the Nakatomi Corporation, where employees gather for a Christmas party. John McClane arrives to visit his estranged wife Holly, but Gruber and his team seize the tower and take the guests hostage.
Nakatomi Plaza gives the film its contained setting. McClane moves through offices, service areas, stairwells, and unfinished floors while trying to outwit the criminals and contact the police. The building’s layout also explains why the conflict can remain focused on one location.
The exterior used for the film was Fox Plaza in Century City, Los Angeles. That real building is sometimes mistaken for the fictional name. Die Hard was released in 1988 and adapted from Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever.