Fit for Champions

Interlocking rings representing some of L.A.'s recent sports triumphs are a centerpiece in the redesigned Champions Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live. Image courtesy AllAccessLiving.

Los Angeles and sports championships are no strangers to one another. The Lakers have 11 to their credit over the last 40-plus years. The Dodgers have won five. Last year the Kings added to the city’s trophy case by winning their first Stanley Cup. It’s fitting then that members of the Kings were on hand dedicate a new Swarovski crystal sculpture and were part of the redesigned Champions Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live.

Click to read more ...

New Michael Webb Posts

FORM contributor and newly-minted honorary AIA member Michael Webb has been doing some serious reading, checking in with a trio of book reviews over on the Views tab of the FORM Mag website. First is White Cube, Green Maze: New Art Landscapes, which documents a succession of inventive exhibitions at the Heinz Architectural Center in Pittsbugh curated by Raymund Ryan. Next is The Iconic Interior: Private Spaces of Leading Artists, Architects, and Designers, which Webb describes as a "gorgeous indulgence." Finally, Webb reviews Taschen's latest update of its collection of works by Pritzker Prize winning Japanese Architect Tadao Ando, Ando: Complete Works 1975-2012. The November/December print issue of FORM Magazine includes an interview with Ando, for those craving more of Ando's unique perspective.

Shlemmer+Algaze+Associates Moving to Downtown LA

Commercial interiors and architecture firm Shlemmer+Algaze+Associates (SAA) is in the process of adding another Southern California office in the unused lobby of Paul Hastings Tower in City National Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. The new office will be in the same complex as Gensler’s new home, which gained so much attention in recent months.

According to Downtown LA blogger Brigham Yen, SAA leased the northern half of the Paul Hastings Tower’s lobby and elevator banks—formerly underutilized because the tower’s office workers enter and exit through the side facing the central plaza, leaving the 4,000 square foot space unused. SAA’s new space will house 22 architects. The interiors for the new office, pictured above and below, were designed by Steven Drucker, design principal of SAA.

Restaurant at Royal Academy in London by Tom Dixon

British designer Tom Dixon finished the interior of the Restaurant at the Royal Academy on January 19, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England. Dixon oversaw the design as Creative Director of Design Research Studio. The restaurant is part of the Peyton and Byrne restaurant group, which also runs the renowned dining rooms at the National Gallery.

Click to read more ...

Studio O+A Designs Yelp Headquarters in San Francisco

San Francisco based interiors company Studio O+A recently redesigned the online directory company Yelp's headquarters, also in San Francisco. The space is casual and interactive, featuring a custom-designed wallpaper, bike zone and plenty of bright accent colors, all to capture the zeitgeist of the company's online community. Yelp corroborates user-generated reviews of local businesses, organized and rated by city. Studio O+A is also well-known for their design of other online companies' headquarters, notably Facebook and Paypal.