Gehry Partners, which has over 160 employees, is moving from its 44,000-square-foot studios in West Los Angeles to the beachside town of El Segundo early next year. Their new campus will add 15,000 square feet of space to an existing 60,000-square-foot complex of 1960s warehouse-style structures on Beatrice Avenue between Utah and Alaska avenues. NSB Associates will develop the property with Gehry Partners.

The existing structures on the site have 20-foot-high ceilings and large skylights. A new wood trellis structure by Gehry to connect them bears striking resemblance to the pavilion that the architect built for London’s Serpentine Gallery this past summer. The trellis appears to consist of large wood planks projecting at skewed angles, although the intensity of their disorder is certainly toned down from the London project. The site measures 154,000 square feet total, with room for parking and possible expansion.

El Segundo, just south of LAX airport, was once a center of aviation and aerospace manufacturing, more recently revitalized as a center for creative and technology-based companies.  “It’s a great coup for our city,” said El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell. “Frank Gehry is truly a giant in the field of architecture.” The town has a population of 16,000 and a commercial district with 85,000 employees.

Architect: Gehry Partners
Developer: NSB Associates
Location: Beatrice Avenue, El Segundo
Completion: 2009