Samitaur Tower / Eric Owen Moss Architects

Oct 2010

Uploaded by Nico Saieh — Filed under: Featured ,Infrastructure ,Public Facilities ,Selected , California, Eric Owen Moss, Steel, USA

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Architects: Eric Owen Moss Architects
Location: Culver City, CA, USA
Owner: Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith
Builder: Samitaur Constructs
Structural Engineer: Arup, Los Angeles
Project Year: 2006-2010
Photographs: Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

The project is an information tower, constructed at the corner of Hayden Avenue and National Boulevard immediately across from the new Expo light rail transit line arriving from downtown Los Angeles in June, 2011. That intersection is the primary entry point into the re-developed zone of Culver City.

situation

Conceptually, the tower has both introverted and extroverted planning objectives. Internal to the burgeoning site area of new media companies, graphic designers, and general office tenants, the tower will symbolize the advent of this important new urban development, provide a changing art display for local viewing, and offer a variety of graphic content and data on its five high- resolution rear projection screens concerning coming events and current achievements of the tenants who occupy that part of the city.

Externally, the tower displays culturally significant content and local event information, along with art and graphic presentations of all sorts available to in-car audiences who pass the site area, traveling on a number of local thoroughfares in the Culver City / West Los Angeles area.

In addition to the large number of cars passing the site, the Expo Line has an estimated ridership of 30,000 passengers per day with two local stations several blocks east and west of the project site. The presence of the train riders guarantees an enormous daily audience of Tower art viewers, as well as an increase in pedestrians in the area, who will walk past the Tower from the train stops to local businesses.

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: © Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects & Tom Bonner Photography

: situation

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: orientation diagram

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.

Cite:
Saieh , Nico . "Samitaur Tower / Eric Owen Moss Architects" 03 Oct 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 23 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/80113>

Comments (15)
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Links to this entry (1)

kourosh fathi says:

seriously cool

# October 3, 2010 at 15:28

i don’t get the introverted/external polarity of the project though (as described). It’s a beautiful screen (building) and that’s it.

# October 3, 2010 at 15:39

anon says:

U-G-L-Y… sometimes it happens.

# October 3, 2010 at 15:59

archi-troll says:

It happens a lot actually.

# October 3, 2010 at 19:43

jk says:

i appreciate that they’re challenging our current perception of ‘cool’

# October 4, 2010 at 14:09

Alex Gore says:

Shocking yet interesting!.

# October 3, 2010 at 17:50

Jenny says:

This ia absolutely amazing, so smart, site specific, the architects have made a beautiful structure with such modest materials too. A very modern and clever structure indeed.

# October 3, 2010 at 20:27

Marius says:

Totally reminds me of my proposal. (visit my site to see) Yours are more elegant though. Envy you for having such clients that fall for sculpture buildings.

# October 4, 2010 at 04:47

eili says:

impressive!
but i´m missing interior shots to get an impression how this works out inside!

# October 4, 2010 at 14:59

kelly says:

A sculptural way to reach a wide audience, pedestrian, train riders, and the in-car audience. I like the concept of using high-res projection screens to announce the communities upcoming cultural events and activities!

# October 4, 2010 at 16:10

eom says:

E W M S U C K S

# October 4, 2010 at 16:42

up_today_arch says:

First I thought it is private house:), impresive anyway…

# October 4, 2010 at 17:31

phishfood says:

Wow to that write up…. way to polish a modern day bill board. Yes there are train riders (note that there are no stops close by) and yes to cars but no to pedestrians (Its not exactly in a ped friendly part of Culver City). I’m impressed eric moss convinced someone to pay for it.

# October 4, 2010 at 19:17

zoolander says: