Downtown LA Hotel

Los Angeles, California

This new small hotel is conceived as a monolithic concrete structure, carved by a system of slots and slices that bring light, air and views deep into the building. The site is an infill parcel in downtown Los Angeles which measures just 50x150 feet. The hotel is freestanding, surrounded on all sides by alleys and streets. This allows for slots to be cut into the façade, which contrast with and dematerialize the otherwise monolithic quality of the building.

The lobby is an abstract, multi-use gallery/ performance space. Bricks
salvaged from the existing building form the floor. The East wall is shaped by three openings: the projecting glass box of the artist-in-residence studio; the center passage to the main lobby and restaurant; and a multistory atrium through the hotel to the exterior.

The rooms and other program elements are conceived as solid volumes
which float freely within the structural frame provided by the overall concrete monolith. The glass enclosure line is set variably 5 to 20 feet back from the concrete perimeter to comply with fire codes. The double height slots multiply the facades and provide natural light, fresh air, views to the city, terraces, areas for plantings and art installations.

From the interior, the building is light, airy, with views from everywhere
through the building to landscaping, other people, other parts of the building. The strategy cuts holes in the otherwise solid fabric of the building, exposing one use to another, creating moments of juxtaposition and unanticipated multi-story views through the building.

The concrete structure wraps up and over the roof deck, providing solar shade and privacy from the taller adjacent buildings. A rooftop pool extends the full width of the Western façade.  Openings in the concrete shell frame panoramic vistas South and West over the downtown Los Angeles.