Location

Culver City, California

Program

Restaurant and Performance Venue

Size

7,000 square feet

Dates

2001

Key Staff

Dolan Daggett, Eric McNevin, Grit Leipert, Jin Bum Kim

The urban condition is characterized by constant change, renewal and incidental encounters. The physical urban fabric reflects this state of transformation. Our project takes advantage of the inherent qualities accumulated by accretion over time by incorporating existing features, conceiving our intervention as an overlay of change onto an existing structure.

The site for this project is within a post-war industrial zone that is slowly transforming into a vital center for creative production. Our client desired a vacant warehouse to be made into a Restaurant with multiple functions. Over the course of the day the same dining area and bar should be used in many different ways. The space should be able to accommodate corporate private events, a supper club with dining and live performance or cinema, as well as a dining room that can change size. A space that feels full of activity independent of the number of guests.

Our design strategy for a multi-functional space was adaptable elements. We imagined a series of panels with the ability to pivot about a fixed axis. The resultant spatial variations proved significant in defining unique conditions for use, while simultaneously animating a space intended for live audience.