Main St Project
Year 2018 | Los Angeles, California
Main Street Tower proposes to transform an underutilized surface parking lot by constructing an architecturally-compelling twelve-story mixed-use building that ties the connection of urban modern living and city revitalization as well as preserves the character of the existing neighborhood. The Project will include 196 of residential apartment units and 6,344 square feet of commercial/retail.
Main Street Tower endeavors a balance between the neighborhood’s eclectic mix of old and new. It is designed in a contemporary, exciting form and scale, yet it simultaneously references the existing historic structure nearby. On Main Street side, the Project respects its adjacency to the historic Rosslyn Loft’s façade by incorporating a more sensitive scale of the articulation at various levels, including repetition of columns at the store frontage and horizontal reference lines on the first two levels and the top level.
The building has a courtyard scheme with an “Armature” structure in the middle that opens up to the sky and expands out to main street. The “Armature” is the physical presence of the void in the building mass, and the frame of the opening on the front facade. The appearance of it resembles the keys of piano or some percussion instrument that symbolizes the harmonious symphony of downtown revitalization and modern urban living. The opening serves as an important visual connection between residents and main street; it allows light and air flow into the center of the building, yet provides enough space and distant for privacy.
The armature creates a minimal screening without blocking this connection. The vegetation on the armature inject life in to the structure, making it grow and breathe with the beating of the city heart. The design goal is to create a lively, attractive environment both for the residents and the visitors.