Thursday, July 3, 2014

Whoa: Eric Owen Moss's Expo-Adjacent Tower Pulls Permits


Expo Line passengers in-between the Culver City and La Cienega/Jefferson Stations might be getting some very noticeable eye candy in the not-so-distant future.  Believe it or not, LADBS permits appear to be in the works for (W)rapper, the poorly-named, Eric Owen Moss-designed creative office building slated for the intersection of Jefferson and National Boulevards.

Due to an extremely high floor-to-ceiling ratio, the 12-story tower would stand 230 feet tall, giving it a monolithic presence within the primarily low-rise Baldwin Hills neighborhood.  Consisting of just over 150,000 square feet of office space, (W)rapper's design would utilize a "continuous system of curvilinear ribbons," to allow for completely open floor plans.  The tower would rise above three levels of parking -- one at-grade and two below ground.

The project is being developed by Samitaur Constructs, landlord of the Conjunctive Points creative office haven.  The firm has engaged in a successful partnership with Eric Owen Moss Architects over the past several decades, creating a multitude of undulating structures that fascinate potential tenants and passersby alike.  (W)rapper would be their most ambitious collaboration to date, and one of only a handful inside Los Angeles city limits.


Located at 5790 Jefferson Boulevard, the creative office tower would sit within walking distance of La Cienega/Jefferson Station.  Although many of the blocks surrounding the elevated tracks are car-oriented in design, several  properties could lend themselves to a future mixed-use community.  Notably, the 10-acre site that currently houses the KLOS/KABC radio broadcast facility was put up for sale late last year.  Further south, development rumors have also floated around a 5-acre, city-owned property on Jefferson Boulevard.

3 comments:

  1. Based on your knowledge of tracking these projects, how long do building permits take to clear?

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    1. It really depends on how fast the developer wants to get sticks in the ground, and on the size/scope of the project itself. In this case, I wouldn't expect to see shovels anytime soon. Looks like they're just getting a review of plans, but haven't applied for excavation/shoring permits yet.

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  2. I have reached out to Samitaur Constructs ( Frederick-Laurie Samitaur -Smith) I hope I will meet them soon as well as Eric Owen Moss. I would like to do a sculpture for "W(rapper) and The Waffle. I love both of these Communities, I want to be part of an innovative group such as the Developers and the Architect! I remain very positive and hopeful.

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