Big Century City/Beverly Hills Developments Get Moving

Your eyes do not deceive you: construction cranes have returned to Century City.  10000 Santa Monica Boulevard, a $300 million residential tower by developer Crescent Heights, is about to begin the two-year climb to its eventual 40-story apex.

When completed in 2016, the project will offer 283 luxury apartments along the border between West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.  Units will range in size from one-to-three-bedrooms, and are being built to condo specifications in the event of an uptick in the local for-sale market.

Designs from New York-based Handel Architects call for the building to have a shimmering glass exterior.  Jagged angles and a sloping roofline will give the tower a unique presence within Century City's otherwise staid, modernist skyline.  With a 483-foot height profile, 10000 Santa Monica is currently the second tallest building under construction in Los Angeles, following the monumental Wilshire Grand hotel and office development.

Another Glimpse of the Palladium Residences

Photo credit: Crescent Heights

Take another look at Sunset Boulevard's stylish Palladium Residences, the high-rise towers proposed for the parking lot abutting the Hollywood Palladium.  The mixed-use complex, unveiled last summer by developer Crescent Heights, would offer a blend of residential units and hotel rooms in a pair of sleek, 28-story buildings.  An official website for the project features a new set of high-resolution renderings, highlighting the Palladium Residences' street-level integration and prominent location within the Hollywood skyline.

The twin 350-foot towers, designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects, could move forward under two distinct development programs.  Under the first scenario, Crescent Heights would build a purely residential project with 731 dwelling units.  In an alternate program, the towers would feature a mixture of 538 residential units and 250 hotel rooms.  Both plans call for a total of 14,000 square feet of pedestrian-oriented commercial space, in addition an underground parking garage with accommodations for approximately 1,900 vehicles and 820 bicycles.

Excavation Permit Issued for 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard

All images from Handel Architects

Seems like it took forever getting here, but the long delayed 40-story tower at 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard is finally ready to get off the ground.  Or more accurately, into the ground.  Earlier today, the Department of Building and Safety gave developer Crescent Heights the go-ahead to start excavation and shoring work for the tower's two-level underground parking garage.  The 2.4 acre lot, positioned across the street from Beverly Hills' western border, has awaited re-development since 2006.  Ambitious plans for a 45-story condo tower designed by Jean Nouvel were scuttled by the global recession, allowing Crescent Heights to purchase the land at a discount in 2010.  After sitting on the property for several years, it looks like Crescent Heights is now ready to make their move in Century City (and maybe Hollywood).  While earlier reports stated that 10000 Santa Monica would contain 283 condominiums, the project's official website indicates that Crescent Heights has instead opted to move the project forward as luxury rentals.  Either way, Handel Architects' 483-foot tower will soon re-write the Century City skyline.

10000 Santa Monica Blvd by Handel Architects

Northern profile of 10000 Santa Monica Blvd

While Jean Nouvel's erstwhile "Green Blade," proposal packed more architectural star power, I have grown to appreciate Handel Architects' version of 10000 Santa Monica Blvd.  Los Angeles' rooftop helipad ordinance is often blamed for giving the city a "bland," skyline.  However, Handel's design for 10000 Santa Monica shows that it is possible to work around the ordinance to create dynamic shapes.  The tower's slanted rooftop and sharp angles will be unique elements in Century City's modernist skyline.

After perusing the above diagram, I discovered that the building will be slightly taller than reported.  Previous coverage has described 10000 Santa Monica as 460 feet tall, but the diagram shows its architectural peak as 483 feet above grade.

Here Are Your Palladium Residences

Crescent Heights made a big splash via Curbed LA when they announced plans for a two high rise development on the massive surface parking lot behind the Hollywood Palladium.  Now as the proposal moves through the planning process, we are getting a chance to flesh out what to expect.

Image from Crescent Heights via the Park La Brea News.

First up, the specs on the two buildings:

...two new buildings which would be up to 28 stories and approximately 350 [feet] in height. 

 The project's initial study presents two different options for what uses the building shall hold.  Option 1 reads as follows:

Residential option, the two buildings would contain up to 731 residential units.

 And Option 2:

Residential/Hotel Option, the two buildings would contain up to 598 residential units and in the southwest building fronting on Argyle Avenue, up to 250 hotel rooms and ancillary hotel uses including banquet, meeting and related retail space.

Both options offer 14,000 square feet of retail split between a low rise structure at the corner of Argyle and Sunset, as well as at the ground floor of the tower along El Centro.  The initial study also indicates that the project will feature a gym, a spa, an outdoor pool terrace, a rooftop terrace, and private balconies (the outdoorsy type of amenities that LA really should have).  The towers would provide up to 1,900 (!) parking spaces (isn't this a block away from a subway station?), as well as up to 820 bike parking stalls.

The developer emphasizes that the buildings are designed to avoid obscuring the Hollywood Palladium (not unlike what the Millennium Hollywood project has attempted to do with the Capitol Records Tower).  Let's see if the design stands up to those claims.

Here we see the towers from the intersection of Sunset and El Centro.  I'm no architecture expert, but I'm really digging the facade of these towers.  Their height is consistent with other nearby high rises, so I don't consider them to be "out of scale," with the rest of the neighborhood.

Checking out how the building meets the street on Sunset, Argyle and El Centro.  No Selma?  The ground level retail will be nice on El Centro, especially since the new design of next-door neighbor Columbia Square makes no effort to activate the opposite side of the street.

Some more detailed views of the ground level entrances to the project.  Nice wide sidewalks and high visibility crosswalks.  That blank wall on Sunset Court is kind of boring...perhaps a mural to brighten the area up?

Overhead schematic of the project.  I'd imagine views from the Argyle tower would be obstructed if the proposed re-development of the Ametron site ever happens.

A view of some the rooftop terraces.  A pool crammed in between the two buildings would be in the shade from the towers quite often.  Might not be a great location for it.

A look at where the the Palladium Residences would stand in the context of the growing Hollywood skyline.  Significantly taller than the under construction Sunset Gordon Tower, but dwarfed by the Millennium Hollywood development.

Well, you can count me as a fan.  I see attractive architecture that fits in well with its surroundings.  What more could you ask for?  Of course, it's yet to be seen if the Palladium Residences can make their way through Hollywood's NIMBY gauntlet.