American studios Neil M Denari Architects and HLW have created an office structure in Beverly Hills equipped with solar panels and a distinctive "aubergine"-coloured facade.
9000 Wilshire is a single-tenant office building in Los Angeles' Beverly Hill neighbourhood. Positioned on a low-rise commercial strip surrounded by residential, the building utilises a distinctive cladding language with an off-kilter colour to create an effect.
The four-storey building has a roughly rectangular layout, with large expanses of glass separated by metal cladding and thick columns at the base that support a floor plate covered over a ramped entryway.
The cladding is curved on the corners, and on the top connects to a sloped, perforated metal sunscreen for the rooftop. It has four storeys of underground parking.
All of the metal was painted a distinct deep purple colour described by the architects as "aubergine".
According to design architect Neil M Denari Architects, the choice for the facade stemmed from a desire to individuate the building and to reference the culture of Los Angeles.
"The regal color's boldness responds directly to the tall orders of the City of Beverly Hills: build it, but build it with purpose," studio founder Neil M Denari told Dezeen, referencing local development guidelines.
There were multiple symbolic reasons for the colour choice, according to Denari.
"The City of Beverly Hills wanted the building to contribute to its history as a place of serious architecture, in addition to the glamour of fashion brands," he said. "Dark purple is a pan-cultural representation of elevated status, which is how the City's request was interpreted."
"At the same time, it's unique in the City as no other building has this color, creating immediate singularity."
Additional pressures were added to the design team due to recent ordinances restricting new construction in the area due to Beverly Hills' proximity to a seismic fault line.
According to executive architects HLW, this may be one of the last ground-up structures to be built in the area, which meant that further considerations on aesthetic and material durability had to be taken into account in the design.
"It is simultaneously one of Beverly Hills' newest ground-up structures and likely one of its last – due in large part to a new seismic ordinance limiting development along Beverly Hills's fault line," HLW project architect Andrew Mangan told Dezeen.
"Given its enduring nature, the building was sustainably designed, detailed, and developed to represent the future of work – while respecting the notion that the next generation of workplaces must be more than just work."
To account for the seismic risks, the structure is 51 per cent ready-made concrete.
It also includes a 24-kW photovoltaic panel on the roof to supply the building with operational energy usage, including for an art installation on one side with an augmented reality component.
The installation includes a mural on the exterior that is aligned with outward-facing LED screens inside the building.
Inside, the architecture studios focused on having natural lighting and open floor plans, complemented by the floor-to-ceiling glass on the exterior.
The studio also prioritised outdoor space. In addition to the large rooftop – which features a small vestibule with a retractable overhang – a terrace on the second story was backed by a massive green wall covered in plantings.
Other buildings that incorporate bold colours on the facade include a terminal at the Boston International Airport by Luis Vidal and AECOM with bright-red cladding.
For more purple in particular we rounded up six purple interior design projects.
The photography is by Benny Chan.
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