Construction Wrapping Up At the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Events and Program Building

As summer approaches, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple community looks ahead to welcoming the grand opening of its striking Events and Program Building. Anyone who has passed by the space over the course of construction has undoubtedly been drawn in by the daring design. As it is unveiled over the final weeks of construction, onlookers will be able to fully admire this hyper-modern contrast to the original 1929 Wilshire Temple, which MATT also helped to historically renovate.

Daring Design Meets Creative Construction

International architectural mastermind Rem Koolhaas’s firm OMA partnered with LA architects Gruen Associates to bring this vision to life. The building’s layout includes three occupied levels, two mezzanines, a roof garden, an indoor atrium and a double-height grand ballroom.

The elaborate façade features hexagonal panels with a waffle-like finish and exposed aggregate. To construct the south side, which leans towards the street and gives an exciting optical sense of suspension and hovering to passers-by, the team deployed a winch and coil cable system anchored to the top of the building.

Exterior Thrill Meets Interior Luxury

MATT’s team has also installed the distinctive interior finishes. The grand ballroom, a centerpiece of the inner event space, boasts a 35-foot-high ceiling. Magnificent millwork with coffered arches and bookmatched wood veneer lends a continuous flow to the aesthetic. To achieve the bookmatched look, the team sourced from a single giant log and peeled the wood off in layers, taking cuts and opening individual pieces like a book, lining up the grain and layering it over acoustically treated substrate. Micro-perforated panels also mitigate echo for sound attenuation.

A Space For All

While the Temple space embraces its roots, the Events and Program Building embraces novelty. It’s a classic tale of past meets future. When construction wraps up fully at the end of this month, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Events and Program Building will open its jumbo glass doors not only to its own members, but also to the greater LA community as a whole. Interior and exterior spaces in this thrillingly designed space will be available to book, and there is no doubt that it will become a coveted new destination for exciting gatherings in the years ahead.