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Urbanize.LA

By Steven Sharp

October 31, 2019

With completion approaching at the Expo Line-adjacent Ivy Station complex, developers Lowe and AECOM-Canyon Partners have announced an operator for project’s boutique hotel.

The 148-room hotel – known as “The Shay”  – will be operated by Hyatt under its premium Destination Hotel brand.  Other offerings will include a 5,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard and 8,000 square feet of meeting space.

“There is a gap in the market for an upscale hotel that takes advantage of the renaissance occurring in Culver City,” said Matt Walker, Executive Vice President of Lowe in a news release.  “The Shay will have an engaging collection of dining experiences and gathering spaces plus a captivating rooftop deck with panoramic views of Downtown L.A., the Hollywood Sign and Santa Monica Mountains. The hotel will appeal to the area’s numerous arts and creative industries, business groups, leisure visitors and residents.”

The six-story hotel, designed by KFA Architecture and Studio Collective, is part of a broader 5.2-acre development which replaced the former park-and-ride lot of Culver City Station.  Other components of Ivy Station include a 240,000-square-foot office building – leased to WarnerMedia -and a 200-unit apartment complex.  These uses will sit above 50,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, two acres of publicly-accessible open space, and a 1,500-car garage.

The project’s proximity to rail transit – which connects Culver City to Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles – also contributed to the identity of the hotel.  The Shay is named in honor of inventor Ephraim Shay, the creator of the once-common form of steam locomotive called The Shay.

An opening of the hotel is expected in mid-2020.

Ivy Station is among a handful of large mixed-use projects now taking shape adjacent to Expo Line stations.  More than 2,500 apartments are under construction at four developments located near the Culver City, La Cienega/Jefferson, Expo/Sepulveda, and Expo/Bundy stops.

Dezeen

by Bridget Cogley

September 30, 2019

Soho House has turned a former warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles into a new spot for its members, featuring a rooftop pool, hotel rooms and garden.

Called Soho Warehouse, the new members’ club occupies a factory building that dates back to 1916. The space was renovated and designed in-house by Soho House & Co and local firm KFA as project architect.

Located in the city’s Industrial District in downtown, the building marks the largest North American outpost for the international member’s club.

The 80,000-square-foot (7,432-square-metre) space spans seven storeys of lounge, dining and meeting spaces, and is complete with 48 bedrooms, a gym, courtyard cafe, and a rooftop patio and outdoor pool overlooking the city.

It is the third Soho House location in California and the West Coast area in general, following another Los Angeles outpost in West Hollywood designed by Michaelis Boyd and a spot in Malibu about an hour outside the city.

The decor of Soho Warehouse takes cues from two different styles that are prominent in the building’s history – art deco accents referencing its early 1900s construction and pieces that are evocative of the 1970s when it functioned as a recording space.

The interior design “draws inspiration from the local downtown LA area and the building’s historic roots,” the team said. “Staying true to the original design, all exposed brick walls, including graffiti tagged before Soho House took over the space, remain untouched.”

On the rooftop is an outdoor bar, lounge and pool area, which is filled with cream-coloured seating and sun covers. The level below contains one of Soho Warehouse’s two club levels, including a sitting area with a metallic fireplace, a sun-lit bar and a restaurant with an open kitchen.

Pops of dark blush, charcoal, cream and teal are interspersed throughout.

A feature of the project is the concrete walls marked with graffiti, paired alongside exposed ductworks and pillars for an industrial feel.

Vintage furniture, plants, wood tables and leather stools all feature in the areas as well.

For art, Soho House collaborated with local artists and galleries, including a mural by local street artist Shepard Fairey on the building’s original loading dock door next to reception.

On the rooftop patio, hemp lounge chairs have a custom print created by local artist and illustrator Ethan Lipsitz. Other decorative elements include a wallpaper by Genevieve Gaignard that lines a stairwell and a canvas mural by Paul Davies.

Bedrooms of varying size are located on the first, second and third floors, and feature original brickwork and exposed pipes. Some suites are styled like residences and have a kitchenette, dining area, powder room, walk-in closet and free-standing bathtub.

On the ground floor is another restaurant with exposed wood beams and panelling, rustic cobblestone floors and lightwells.

An outdoor patio and garden is located within the property’s former loading dock, and is filled with wood furniture, umbrellas, olive trees and jasmine.

Rounding out the project is a split-level gym with a sauna and steam room on the ground floor, in addition to an in-room shopping experience with a collection by Montreal retailer SSENSE and pieces from LA designer Rhude, making it the first Soho House to offer such a service.

Soho House was founded in London in 1995 by Nick Jones as a private members’ club for people in the creative and media industries and has grown to clubs around the world, including locations in Brooklyn, Amsterdam and Mumbai.

The company launched Soho Home in the US this year for a range of furniture and homeware pieces from its outposts available for purchase.