Los Angeles, California, USA
Work on the Grand, a long-anticipated $1 billion mixed-use complex developed by The Related Companies, Inc. has reached the halfway mark as construction carries on unobtrusively through the pandemic.
Designed by Frank Gehry with AECOM, The Grand will complement the adjacent Disney Concert Hall and connect with the nearby arts and cultural institutions through Gehry’s distinct design.
Gehry’s vision for The Grand was to create a centerpiece for Grand Avenue that promotes community gatherings and cultural performances in an open space, in addition to providing shopping, dining and residential experiences.
The Grand’s residential tower will rise 39-stories high with more than 400 luxury residences, of which 20% will be affordable rate residences.
A 20-storey, 309 room Equinox Hotel will flank the residential tower and include 12,000 square feet of meeting rooms and facilities, ballrooms, and 27,000 square feet of restaurants, lounges and outdoor amenities.
The complex contains over 176,000 square feet of retail space.
The organization of the building massing seeks to break with the typical mixed-use template by integrating podium areas into the overall building design.
This allows the towers to meet the ground, surrounding sidewalks with restaurants and humanizing the base of the building for pedestrians.
Each tower is clearly differentiated in height to modulate the massing and better relate to the surrounding context, while greenery is integrated at all public areas in the lower portion of the scheme.
Metallic cladding wraps certain portions of the towers in an attempt to match the concert hall’s stainless steel cladding while expanses of glass fill out other volumes.
Between the two towers will be a large, vibrant public plaza with open terraces that plays host to outdoor music and art, accessible to all visitors.
“With the Grand, we’re not just building buildings, we’re building places,” states Gehry.
“We are trying to make a place for people not only to live, but also to gather after concerts or performances, and my hope is that it will spawn other growth in the neighborhood. my dream is that from time-to-time, we will be able to close Grand Avenue and have street parties with projections on Walt Disney Concert Hall.”
“The project is meant to complement and enhance the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Colburn, the Broad and the other buildings that make up the rich and exciting cultural district that is emerging on Grand Avenue.”
“Our long-term focus and tenacity of effort ensured Frank Gehry’s architectural majesty and a destination befitting this great city,” says Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder of Related Companies.
“The Grand is a crescendo to downtown’s cultural renaissance and will bring not only tremendous economic benefits, but culinary creativity, new shopping and entertainment experiences, a unique hotel and brilliant residences for all income levels.”
The entire complex will be done by early 2022, said Rick Vogel, who is overseeing the project as a senior vice president at New York developer Related Cos.
Architects: Gehry Partners, LLP.
Architects of Record: AECOM
Developers: The Related Companies, Inc. and CORE USA, Public-Private Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles
