Danish architecture studio BIG has opened an office in Santa Monica in a renovated 1928 Spanish revival building designed by iconic Los Angeles architect Paul R Williams.
The 1928 building was refurbished by the team, many of whom will be joining the freshly minted BIG Los Angeles team ? recruited both from the New York office and from the local "talent pool".
BIG has opened an office in a 1928 Paul R Williams building in Santa Monica
BIG, the architecture studio established by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, will be anchored in the Californian city by partner Leon Rost.
For the renovation, the studio kept many of the original Spanish revival details of the original structure including the expressive reliefs on the facade.
Some of the plaster detailing was kept, but the office largely has an unfinished look Some of the interior plasterwork was maintained as well. The primary second-floor workspace was opened up, and much of the walls were peeled back to reveal the wooden structure and enhanced mechanical system.
Unfinished concrete columns are located in th middle of the space, with thick wooden rafters intersected by skylights.
The office layout is open, with large spanning desks and folded Roulade chairs by KiBiSi, which Ingels is also a partner of.
The office will help expand the studio's West Coast presence
According to Rost, the studio plans to continue to update the space with samples of technology such as solar panels from the studio's local projects, many...