Hot off the completion of its first U.S. project last August, today MAD Architects announced it would be returning to California as it unveiled plans for the Star, a 22-story biomorphic office building tentatively slated for Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the developers (working under a limited liability corporation also called the Star) will submit plans for the $500 million tower at 6061 Sunset Boulevard to the city today. The project will require a zoning change and general plan amendment, and the developers reportedly expect the approvals process to take two years and construction another three, putting a speculative open date sometime in 2026.
Of course, the most notable part of the Star is obviously the design. MAD’s plan for the 500,000-square-foot building, which developers are hoping to fill with a single anchor tenant in the entertainment industry, resembles none of the area’s low-slung neighbors. The massing of the Star could be described as resembling three glassy funnels stacked inside of each other with a glass dome enclosing the top, banded by a thin superstructure that creates the silhouette of an egg. That band will serve a practical purpose, acting as a track for a funicular that will run up the building’s outer edge and ferry passengers to the enclosed rooftop restaurant, event space, and observation deck.
In light of COVID and the subsequent focus on light and air requirements in offices, MAD is aiming for WELL and LEED Certification and has included ample outdoor space for workers to enjoy. The Los Angeles-based SALT Landscape Architects will be designing the landscape portions, which include a terrace on the 10th floor that will be lushly planted with soft grasses, and a 17th-floor terrace that will reportedly be more “sculptural.” Both bands will feature seating and gathering spaces for employees to enjoy. The upper portion will feature a garden as well, lending the Star’s topper a terrarium-like feel. As shown in the renderings, the structure’s tessellated glass will narrow as it approaches each terrace to carve out occupiable space.
Ma Yansong, founding principal of MAD Architects said in a press statement that “Hollywood has been a signature center for culture and creativity for a long time. The Star will be the new iconic landmark in Hollywood and continue to nurture the public’s inspiration and creativity.”
