Firm： Belzberg Architects

Type： Commercial › Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2014

Photos： Bruce Damonte Photography Inc (5)

The Gores Group Headquarters is sited along a busy stretch of Wilshire Boulevard at the western gateway to Beverly Hills, CA. The existing condition presented a vacant 1960?s office building on the lot that fronts Wilshire Blvd. to the north and an outdated, two-story parking structure across a sub-standard alley to the south. The alley between the lots was expanded and a new structure was built to replace the unsound parking garage. The decision was made to utilize the existing structure of the office building, completely upgrade all systems and interiors, and interrogate the idea of re-skinning an office building. This interrogation results in the use of a cross-material, patterning language that unifies the project with its continuity and permeates throughout the building inside and out.

The impetus of this language is the use of a mechanically ventilated, double layer façade that consists of varied custom-slumped glass panels. The patterned interlayer sandwiched within this glass provides visual opacity gradients on the exterior and selectively filters views, privacy, and light on the interior. The patterning of this glass also translates across materials and conditions; from voluptuous CNC carved stone façade elements to a light and airy perforated metal roof canopy. This roof canopy selectively shades a roof deck and green roof component, which not only adds a natural buffer zone that is reflective and cooling, but is also easily accessible by employees, promoting an open office culture and providing a multi-use space for activities and breaks. From this, an expansive atrium was carved out of the center of the existing structure to bring ample light to the interior offices. A sculptural stair, whose form is derivative of the façade patterning, was integrated into this atrium to promote greater program connectivity, cross fertilization between departments, and impromptu gatherings; not merely circulation.