XTEN Architecture is planning a new, 65,000-square-foot hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. The monolithic concrete structure will be carved by a system of slots and slices that bring light, air and views deep into the building. Equipped with a performance-based lobby, two subterranean bars, restaurant and a rooftop terrace featuring an infinity edge pool, this mid-rise hotel will surely attract some attention.
Continue after the break to learn more!
Located on a 50×150 foot infill parcel in downtown Los Angeles, the freestanding concrete structure will be surrounded by alleys and streets. This will allow for slots to contrast with and dematerialize the otherwise monolithic quality of the building. These double height slots multiply the hotel’s facades and provide natural light, fresh air, views to the city, terraces, and areas for plantings and art installations. Additionally, the glass enclosure line is set variably 5 to 20 feet back from the concrete perimeter to comply with fire codes.
The lobby is an abstract, multi-use gallery and performance space resting on a floor clad in bricks salvaged from the parcel’s existing building. 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 slot through the hotel to the exterior.
The hotel rooms are conceived as solid volumes which float freely within the structural frame provided by the overall concrete monolith. These volumes are dressed in more alluring materials, such as wood, glass and white plaster.
From the interior, the building is light, airy. Views emerge from everywhere, visually connecting people to the city, landscaping and other parts of the building. The slot strategy exposes one use to another, creating moments of juxtaposition and unanticipated multi-story views throughout the building.
Three popular areas within the hotel include two subterranean bars can be accessed secretly from an alley loading dock or through an elevator service room and a public restaurant that slices through the middle of the building. This restaurant is conceived as a compressed space that opens the width of the parcel to the passageways around the site.
Remaining consistent with the overall language of the building, the slots wrap up and over the roof deck, providing solar shade and privacy from taller adjacent buildings. Large openings in the concrete shell frame panoramic vistas South and West over Los Angeles. A rooftop infinity pool extends the full width of the Western façade, creating a unique vantage point from which to take in the city, the sunset and the horizon.
The informal, unfinished quality of the concrete is intentional and contrasts with the precision of the building geometry. The rough concrete also relates to the other salvaged and reclaimed materials used throughout the hotel. Details are rendered in rich woods, blackened steel and polished glass.
Architects: XTEN Architecture Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Principals: Monika Haefelfinger, SIA & Austin Kelly, AIA Project Team: Scott Utterstrom, Qichen Cao, Matthew Rosenberg, Dayuan Fu, Katie Green, Michael Hasey, Xian Chi Project Area: 65,000sf Renderings: Courtesy of XTEN Architecture
