Newest Starbucks planned for Santa Monica has a festive new design

The Santa Monica Landmarks Commission will review updated plans tonight for a new Starbucks planned for a historic Ocean Front Walk property landmarked in December. As the Santa Monica Daily Press reports, the commission is particularly concerned with ensuring the store’s design is in keeping with the festive aesthetic of the nearby pier.

A new rendering of the project shows that designers from aArts Architects have taken this instruction to heart, planning an unusually whimsical Starbucks that sheds most of the familiar design elements that characterize most of the company’s stores.

The proposed store would include eye-catching features like an undulating green canopy, bright purple awnings, and an aquatic-themed mural along the edge of the roofline.

Architect William Dale Brantley tells the Daily Press that designers also leaned into historical elements of the 1921 building that most recently housed the Carousel Cafe. For instance, metal siding on the north side of the building has been removed to reveal an old sign advertising a long gone Del’s Cafe. The sign will be retained as part of the new design.

Oceanfront Starbucks back before Landmarks Commission [Santa Monica Daily Press]

Here’s the new plan for the future of Downtown Santa Monica [Curbed LA]

Check Out the Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel's New Light Show [Curbed LA]