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RTKL continues L.A.'s entertainment legacy through design
From its days as the 'Rutherford Dance Hall' owned by silent film star Mary Pickford to its transformation into 'Myron’s Ballroom' and host to acts from The Go-Go's to Van Halen, 1000 S. Grand Avenue continues to be an iconic Los Angeles address in its newest incarnation as a high-performance retail and residential tower.
Drawing on the location’s entertainment legacy, the bifurcated, shifted form of the 38-storey tower was inspired by the image of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The design team chose to rotate the mass approximately 45 degrees to address the Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard intersection.
Instead of simply twisting the volume, which would have created massive cantilevers and overly complicated structural requirements, the rotated shape is achieved by splaying a 'skirt' outward from the main tower massing, giving the structure a wide base and increased slenderness ratio. This allows the tower to have completely vertical structures and blend effortlessly with the parking podium. The building is designed to LEED Silver standards and features a green roof with water collection and filtration facilities, as well as draught-tolerant planting.
The tower’s balconies go beyond mere aesthetics and act as sunshades to diminish heat gain for the 377,500 sq ft of residential space and 22,500 sq ft of retail. The project will continue major development eastward in downtown Los Angeles, reinforcing the importance of Olympic Boulevard. As a community asset, the project’s retail base improves the surrounding pedestrian experience and ties to a newly-planned linear park system along Grand Avenue.
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