Ooh-la-la! The "West Coast flagship" of the Marriott Edition hotel (the chain's boutiquey brand), at Sunset Boulevard and Doheny Drive in West Hollywood will be designed by none other than the inventor of the whole idea of the boutique hotel (and cofounder of Studio 54) Ian Schrager, along with British master minimalist desginer John Pawson. Original plans called for a design by local starchitect Eric Owen Moss, but Marriott (which signed on to operate the hotel in 2012) was never that crazy about those. The proposed 13-story hotel is set to have 148 rooms, 20 condos, a restaurant, and a spa, says WeHoville.
The hotel design is made up of two buildings that meet in the rear of the lot, at the southeast corner of Sunset and Doheny, closer to Harratt Street. The rear building will be nine stories on top of two levels of above-ground parking; the front building along Sunset will reach 13 stories. Though the Sunset side is flat and lush, it's the south-facing building that's really nuts: it tapers from top to bottom like an overgrown, cropped pyramid, sprouting plants from what seems like every possible ledge and balcony. Don't get your pitchforks just yet, droughtshamers: The planning documents for the project concede that the "lush landscape ... may appear differently in the Los Angeles climate" (ha!) and suggest that drought-tolerant plants and recycled water sources be considered for the landscaping in this parched region.
The leafy design will be examined by the Design Review Subcommittee of West Hollywood's Planning Commission tomorrow; Marriott's hoping to increase the commercial space and add a roofdeck bar and a nightclub, each 5,000 square feet. What's a Strip hotel without a rooftop bar?
The Sunset Strip has seen a surge of interest from developers lately, especially those looking to put down a hotel. Once known for its connection to music and rebellious youths, and later gimmicky tourist traps, it's heading in yet another very different direction now. In the rush for land, notable buildings like the Hustler Store and the House of Blues will likely be demolished and replaced with hotels. (Of the two, the HOB is the only one with a hotel officially in the works—for now.)
Pawson and Schrager also worked together on an Edition hotel in Miami, which is set to open next month. The West Hollywood Edition is scheduled to open in 2017.
· British Minimalist Designer John Pawson Collaborates with Ian Schrager on Sunset Blvd. Hotel [WeHoville]
· Marriott Signs Onto Sunset-Doheny Hotel, Ditches Moss Designs [Curbed LA]
· Mapping the Sunset Strip's Hotel Madness [Curbed LA]
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