The Frank Gehry-designed Phase I of the Grand Avenue megadevelopment may be sitting quietly on the sidelines, but there are now actually plans and an architect for Phase II's first residential component. Miami-based Arquitectonica is designing the 19 story, 258 unit apartment building that'll sit to the west across a plaza from the under-construction Broad Museum. Blogdowntown reported this morning that the firm's plans will go in front of the Community Redevelopment Agency's board on Thursday. The building is a latecomer to the Grand Ave. game--developer Related only got approvals for it earlier this year--but last we heard it was headed for a late 2012 groundbreaking.
The apartment building will share the Diller Scofidio + Renfro-designed Plaza with the Broad Museum, which will wrap around to "create public and private areas." Pedestrians will come in via the plaza; cars will come into a three-story garage from Hope Street. The garage will run "vertically from the grade at lower Grand Avenue to the level of Upper Grand Avenue," according to a CRA memo, which somewhat cryptically adds that "Approximately 308 on-site and off-site parking spaces will be provided for the project." (Maybe the building will be sharing some of the Broad's 370 spaces?) The plans also include a staircase and elevator from Grand Ave. down to the future Regional Connector light rail line on Hope Street.
The building is slated to have 53 studios, 134 one bedrooms, 71 two bedrooms, and three penthouses ranging from 1,450 to 1,890 square feet (52 units will rent only to low-income households), plus a fitness center, outdoor pool, small theater, yoga area, dog run, rooftop terrace, and other outdoor hangout spaces. The ground floor will hold retail, including a cafe and restaurant.
Architecture-wise, the memo says "The building facades are textural and complementary to the aesthetic of the Broad Museum. The façade design is a playful contrast between the animated window openings within the taut edges of the building. The grid of window openings is eroded at the lower east corners and the upper west corners highlighting the restaurant location and the roof terrace. The overall effect complements the textural facades of the museum. Also, a light gray precast and blue glass are used to harmonize with the Museum design."
If all goes according to plan (which it almost never does, Grand Ave.-wise), this will be the third piece of the project to be built, after the Civic Park and the Broad Museum.
· Developer to Present Plans for 19-Story Apartment Tower Next to Broad Museum [blogdowntown]
· Conceptual Renderings Show Broad Museum Plaza, Related Cos' New Buildings [Curbed LA]
Loading comments...