HLW’s radical adaptive reuse plan for the site repurposes this valuable building infrastructure in an environmentally responsible way, integrating it into the urban fabric and adding to the pedestrian-friendly character of an area quickly changing after the demise of the Westside Pavilion. Key building interventions bring about a complete transformation that remains thoroughly contextual. While maintaining the main architectural features and integrity of the existing structure, the building was sliced by a courtyard that extends all the way from Pico Boulevard to the back of the site and opens it up to the sky and the street.

The resulting two halves were reconnected by open lobbies that create a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. The ground plane was pushed down one level below the street, opening the former basement to light and views of the courtyard. The building façade, previously sealed to the exterior, was retrofitted with ample expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass, furthering the connection between the interiors and the property’s surroundings.

The new landscaped areas along the whole building frontage on Pico and Overland, combined with the extensive use of glass in the facades, completely transform the pedestrian experience. What was once a hermetically sealed box becomes now a visible hub of activity that brings new life to its prominent urban corner.