After nine years of design changes and updates, Frank Gehry's Ocean Avenue project has finally been given the approval by the Santa Monica City Council. Initially proposed in 2013, the mixed-use development was originally conceived as as 22-story hotel and residential tower, but was shortened to 12 stories in 2018 to meet restrictions imposed by the city’s Downtown Community Plan. Construction is expected to begin shortly after receiving the complete building permits, with an official opening date set within the next three years.
Back in 2013, M. David Paul Associates and the Worthe Real Estate Group commissioned Frank Gehry to design a mixed-use hotel and residential tower in his hometown of Santa Monica, California. The then-22-story structure, dubbed “Ocean Avenue”, aimed to revive the city’s economy with restaurants and retail space beneath a 125-room hotel and 22-unit condominium tower topped with a rooftop observation deck.
Developers also wanted to integrate a 36,000 square foot museum campus north of the structure to further improve the cultural aspect of the site. However, the 244-foot tower was left awaiting approval from the City Council for several years following restrictions and concerns by officials.
In 2018, new renderings revealed an updated design for the project, shortened down to 12 stories (130 feet) to meet restrictions imposed by the city’s Downtown Community Plan to match the “lower scale downtown” of mainly 4-5 story tall buildings. The new renderings also showed a second, shorter tower located on the opposite side of the site, which feature 79 residential units, leaving the original tower with just the hotel. In between both buildings, a podium of retail spaces and a museum will be incorporated, along with a bookstore and café.
The new Los Angeles downtown plan indicates that buildings rise no higher than 84 feet, but will allow certain structures to reach 130 feet given that they provide the community with social and economical benefits such as money for parks and transportation systems. Although the project finally passed with Santa Monica City Council, it must now take plans from the California Coastal Commission and the City’s Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Commission.
Last month, Great Gulf Group, Dream, and Westdale Properties, have unveiled renders of Frank Gehry's newest architecture in Toronto, Canada. Set to leave a mark on the city's skyline, Forma, the architect’s first residential tower in Canada and his tallest building yet rises 73 storeys and features a thoughtfully-appointed Gehry-designed lobby.
