Architecture has been in the news in Santa Monica, but not in a good way. Now, in the midst of all the noise of development, comes another project. Located on Arizona Ave between 4th and 5th Streets. And this time the client is the City of Santa Monica.
After a selective process the City partnered with John Warfel of Pacific Metropolitan Capital to lead the project development and the architecture firm OMA, (Office of Metropolitan Architecture) led by Rem Koolhaas to design the project.
Shigematsu, in a follow up interview, said about architecture, “Iconicism comes from use and memory and represents shared culture. Iconic space is something that develops over time, when a place feels special. That understanding of iconicism is why we looked at other public spaces in Santa Monica and worked to understand what it is that makes places special to the people of Santa Monica.
“So we purposefully designed a building with the intent that it respond specifically to the climate and to the people of Santa Monica. There is a Children’s Museum on the ground level. It gives a cultural heart to a commercial periphery. The design is specific to Santa Monica weather. We designed for inside/outside proximity. The hinged bars of the concept design are in response to Santa Monica and the breezes, the air and the sun, and the idea of life lived indoors and outdoors.
“Santa Monica is a City that promotes sustainability and this building will achieve a LEED Gold status through energy efficiency, cooling and natural ventilation, the use of recycled water, a screen to reduce solar gain, use of recycled materials, bike stations, and water on the roof for fun, for beauty and for cooling.
“OMA was given certain parameters of design and a building program and we designed within those parameters. Our first concept plan was for a 148’ building. We were then asked to rethink the project at 84’. It was a necessary step to make the project into 84’ but it is more difficult. We are the ones who translate people’s desires and we do our best to deliver the best translation. I am not just talking about height; I am also talking about architecture and the fundamentals of design.
“This design, from ground to sky, is a continuation of public domain. We have an image of the building as theater where people will come together and we really believe in that image.”
The concept design proposed by OMA, expresses the culture and values of the City: open to the sun and air on every level, yoga on a roof terrace, the ice rink in winter, fountains in summer, open air cafes, year round programming of public events, food markets, museum events, film screenings and maybe even gondolas. Add sustainability, affordablehousing and a welcome for bicycle riders and you know it’s Santa Monica.