Ahmanson Founders Room, 135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, California, USA
Belzberg Architects



The Ahmanson Founders Room is a 2,500 ft2 addition buried in the first level of subterranean parking at The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. The sunken location of the room coupled with an almost clandestine preoccupation of exclusivity by the founders helped orient the design objectives. Belzberg Architects pursued the development of sensual lighting schemes and unique applications of material and texture to create a warm place of respite between the congested streets of L.A. and the brimming communal areas of The Music Center on event night.

The materials used for the ceiling and walls were actually low-grade douglas fir lumber and medium density fiberboard. However, sculpting the ceiling panels and perforating the wall panels with supple patterns and textures transformed low-grade into classy with stunning visual effects and a colorful saturation of the space. The character and unique components of this room have become an entity for which the Ahmanson Theatre founders can identify with and claim as their own.



Ahmanson Founders Room Los Angeles images / text from Belzberg Architects



Californian architecture

Ahmanson Founders Room
Location: 135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, Ca 90012

Adaptive Re-use; Cultural
Tenant Improvement
Size 2,500 ft2

Client: Music Center

Design Architect: Belzberg Architects ; Principal: Hagy Belzberg
Chief Engineer: Keith McTague
Project Manager: David Cheung
Project Team: Barry Gartin, Bill Bowen, Brock DeSmit, Carina Bien-WIllner, Dan Rentsch, Eric Stimmel, Justin Brechtel, Warren Bradley Lang
Structural Consultant: Gordon L. Polon Consulting Engineers
Mechanical Consultant: John Dorius & Associates
Electrical Consultant: A&F Consulting Engineers
Plumbing Consultant: Tom Nasrollahi & Associates
General Contractor: SAS Construction
Furniture: Classic Design; Furniture Creations; Spectrum Oak
Special Fabrication: Spectrum Oak
Photography: Fotoworks



Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles

Los Angeles architect : Frank Gehry



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Crystal Cathedral Los Angeles

American Architects

Los Angeles Buildings

American Architecture

Comments / photos for the Ahmanson Founders Room page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk

The Music Center Los Angeles Interior : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt