DEVELOPER
CHARLES S. COHEN AND ARCHITECT CESAR PELLI UNVEIL PLANS FOR
'RED', A SPECTACULAR 400,000 SF RED GLASS OFFICE BUILDING
THAT COMPLETES PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER MASTER PLAN
Two state-of-the-art towers atop seven levels of parking;
eyeing creative business tenants, developer expects
construction to begin later this year.
West Hollywood, CA (March 2006) - Plans for the third and
final building at the 14-acre Pacific Design Center (PDC) in
West Hollywood - a spectacular 400,000 square foot red glass
clad complex of offices and parking - was unveiled today by
owner/developer Charles S. Cohen and world-renowned
architect Cesar Pelli.
The breathtaking structure, which consists of two
state-of-the-art office towers, six and eight stories high
respectively, sitting atop seven levels of enclosed parking
capable of accommodating 1,500 cars, completes the
remarkable triad of buildings designed by Mr. Pelli, of
Pelli Clarke Pelli Associates, and executive architect Gruen
Associates.
The first of those buildings, the iconic Blue Whale, which
opened in 1975 and was followed in 1988 by the Pacific
Green Building, was recently honored with the 25 Year
award by the LA Chapter of the American Institute of
Architects.
According to Mr. Cohen, construction of the Red Building is
expected to begin later this year and should be completed
within 24 months. He expects strong interest and demand for
the stylish offices, particularly from creative companies,
including entertainment and new media firms, adding that
"preliminary discussions are already underway with several
potential space users."
Designed to allow for a variety of office floors ranging in
size from 14,000 to 36,000 square feet, the six-story west
tower and eight-story east tower will both feature sky
lobbies overlooking an elegantly landscaped palm court
configured for both spectacular views and maximum energy
efficiency. The complex's ultra-modern infrastructure and
state-of-the-art building systems, including elevators, HVAC
and electrical, have also been designed to provide maximum
flexibility to suit the most demanding tenant requirements.
The rest of the talented design team working on the Red
Building includes AREA Architects, which is designing office
lobbies and public spaces; landscape architect Thomas
Balsley Associates; Kaplan, Gehrig, McCarroll Architectural
Lighting, and Selbert Perkins Design for environmental
graphics. Like its fully-leased Green neighbor, the Red
Building will be accessible from San Vincente Boulevard,
which will be beautified with the addition of new public art
works. The seven-level automated parking garage will offer
self-park, assigned and valet/attendant parking.
The PDC presently consists of two architecturally
distinctive buildings containing 1.2 million square feet of
showroom and office space. The larger of the buildings,
nicknamed the Blue Whale because its dramatic color and
size, contains approximately 750,000 square feet of space,
leased exclusively to the top home furnishing showrooms to
the design trade. The six-story structure connects to the
Green Building, a nine-story, 450,000 square foot facility
that houses three floors of showroom tenants, a
state-of-the-art, fully equipped 388-seat film theater and
reception area and is fully leased to a roster of
prestigious office tenants such as Dailey & Associates,
Rogers & Cowan, Weber Shandwick, BNC (Bragman Nyman
Cafarelli), and PMK/HBH, Momentum and Jack Morton.
One of the major attractions of the PDC is WP, a
restaurant located on the Blue Building's third floor and
terrace, operated by celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck, who will
also be opening a new restaurant on the first floor of the
Green building in the fall. The complex also features an
outpost of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), a 200-seat
conference center, a private fitness center for tenants and
a variety of venues for private events that most recently
have included Elton John's Aids Foundation Oscar party and
the HBO Emmy Awards. Besides being an anchor for West
Hollywood, a destination neighborhood known for its
high-design, fine restaurants, boutique shopping and
world-class nightlife, the architecturally distinctive PDC,
the largest mixed-use facility of its kind, remains the
leading regional source for fine, traditional and
contemporary contract and residential furniture, fabrics,
architectural products, floor coverings, wallcoverings,
lighting, kitchen and bath products and accessories. More
than 130 showrooms display and sell 2,100 interior product
lines to professional interior designers, architects,
facility managers, specifiers, decorators and dealers.
Known for his skillful repositioning of commercial real
estate, Charles S. Cohen heads a multi-faceted real estate
development company that owns and manages over eleven
million square feet of prime Manhattan, Los Angeles, Florida
and Houston office and showroom space. Other design centers
owned and operated by Mr. Cohen include the Decoration &
Design (D&D) Building at 979 Third Avenue in Manhattan,
the Decorative Center of Houston and the Design Center of
the Americas (DCOTA) in Dania Beach, FL.
About Pacific Design Center
The award-winning Pacific Design Center is the west coast's
leading resource for the interior design trades. With more
than 130 showrooms and 2,100 interior product lines, PDC
sells to the professional design trade. The PDC also serves
the needs of the design, entertainment and arts communities
by providing well-appointed public and private conference
spaces for lectures, meetings, special events, screenings,
exhibitions and receptions. A premier, multi-use facility,
Pacific Design Center features the Museum of Contemporary
Art (MOCA); two restaurants operated by world-renowned chef
and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck; The SilverScreen Theater, a
380 seat state-of- the-art luxury film venue and reception
facility; and the Blue Conference Center, a 200 seat
facility fully equipped for conferences and public meetings.
