1.

the red building is actually two seperate towers on top of a common podium. both towers kinda look like a curved blade. the west tower has the thinner, sharp side facing down, as if it wanted to cut in to the ground, and the east tower will have the blade facing up in the sky.

2.

The "podium" is actually a 1500 car parking structure. Any new parking added to that part of Weho is always welcome. Since it can be used when most office buildings' parking structures aren't used, and a lot of the lots in Boystown charge $10 and up on a Friday or Saturday night, it's also a smart business decision.

3.

1500 cars! ugh, build the purple line to West LA and ditch the 'valet'....

This corner now officially looks like a vintage cbs pattern...which ironically makes them feel better than the originals...

4.

It took them 31 years to make something this fugly and anti-urban...and they're proud of this?

5.

I love how the PDC looks from the top of Runyon Canyon. The red is going to be great. So smart to put screening rooms there..they need one in that area. I wonder who's putting those in.. studio related or private? Hopefully nice and HD..
MOCA will be great there too. I saw the Annie Leibowitz photos there and it was really nice.
ANy word on who is doing the fitness center? Hopefully NOT a chain..private..should be like a trainer gym.
As for the parking..they are going to make a fortune on the weekends.. that is a cash cow...

6.

Oh as far as the restaurants go ..hopefully Puck wont let his wife(x-wife) design them...they always look like a bathroom on acid..f-d up tile all cracked with shells and too many colors...her art is enough to make you blow a blini!!

7.

This looks very pedestrian unfriendly. Seems like everybody has to park in this 1500 parking garage to go to their office buildings. Building entrances should be right off the main street, like Wilshire, not through a little park in front, which basically isolates yourself from the road. Great, puts more cars on the road! Global warming 1 Enviornment 0.

8.

Yes Sodha, design it so the entrance is at the sidewalk on San Vicente so everyone can drive their cars into the parking lot then walk to the front of the building. Have you ever been on that street? The buildings are easily accessible from San Vicente and Melrose. What is wrong with the water feature and gardens on the San Vicente side?

Daniel, how is this anti-urban? Because it's pretty and has landscaping and water features? Or because automobiles are involved?

Sometimes you all sound retarded. This is NOT New York. Cripes! What will it take for you folks to accept that?

9.

Nobody walks in LA

humming

10.

Anonymous wrote:

"Daniel, how is this anti-urban? Because it's pretty and has landscaping and water features?"

Because it looks like a slightly more colorful version of an office park in Brea?

11.

You're seriously comparing the scale, design, use, setting, and functionality of these buildings with an office park in Brea? Have you ever been to either West Hollywood or Brea?

12.

Daniel is just a constant whiner. Instead of coming on here and saying something positive, he instead tried to stir up debate as to how ugly and unfriendly this is. How original is that? I guess maybe Daniel is upset that this site would no longer be just a huge MTA bus depot. Anyway, I think that the completion of this building will add a much needed architectural landmark to LA's landscape. The red towers are brilliant and unique and with the added amenities may actually become a true destination spot for locals and tourists alike.

13.

Anonymous wrote:

"You're seriously comparing the scale, design, use, setting, and functionality of these buildings with an office park in Brea?"

Yup.

"Have you ever been to either West Hollywood"

Yup.

"or Brea?"

Yup.

MainMan wrote:

"Daniel is just a constant whiner. Instead of coming on here and saying something positive, he instead tried to stir up debate as to how ugly and unfriendly this is."

Is it now out-of-bounds to call a building ugly in the comments section of a blog devoted to buildings and architecture? Dammit--JUST when I thought I'd mastered the Internet!

14.

Let me modify my question: Have you ever been to either West Hollywood or Brea sober and with your eyes open?

15.

It is amazing that something called the Design Center can be so unattractive.

16.

personally I like the buildings. of course, I'm not architect, but I like the colors, the unusal shapes, the color-changing neon in the round part (of the green bldg). I also think the courtyard area is very nice and pleasant. it's not hidden from the urban environment around it, but a relief from it -- enough space, trees, cool water..
daniel and others are welcome to dislike it, but as it is "a blog devoted to buildings and architecture" something a little more insightful than it's "fugly" would be nice. besides.. it *is* an office park.. a pretty big one for the middle of town. would you have preferred a high-rise? a strip mall? an undulating metal-skinned (oh no!) frank gehry??

17.

Daniel and everyone else can say whatever they want..its called the 1rst Amendement people...now get back to the building...what kind of restaurants are PUCK putting in there? DOnt forget to get your HEP vaccines.

18.

I know I know..I made a spelling mistake... BACK OFF

19.

does anybody know -- with some kind of authority -- if the MTA bus depot is actually going away, or if the new building is just going behind it?

the pessimist in me suspects the absence of the bus depot from renderings just means they don't want people to remember what that complex is unfortunately next door to.

btw pattycake, MOCA, Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the non-chain gym and the cash-cow parking operation are all currently there already as part of green/blue.

20.

The buss depot will still be there. Look at the PDC on google maps from above. See the wedge shaped parking lot? That's where it's gonna go....

21.

anon...I sorta thought so..I thought there was a gym there. hmm

well the MOCA part is a good idea.