Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Owner

Wilshire Boulevard Temple

Design Architect

OMA

Architect

Gruen Associates

Project Size

60,000 SF

Awards

2022 | Architectural Digest's Works of Wonder

2022 | AIA LA Building Team of the Year

2022 | LABC Architectural Award, Chairman's Award

2022 | LABJ Commercial Real Estate Silver Award, Architectural Excellence

2022 | ENR Regional Best Project, Cultural/Worship

2022 | SCDF Design Award, Engineering Excellence

2022 | Vanceva World of Color Awards, Exterior Winner

2022 | NCSEA Structural Engineering Excellence, New Buildings $30 Million to $80 Million

2022 | SEAOC Excellence in Structural Engineering, Award of Merit

2022 | SEAOSC Excellence in Structural Engineering, Award of Excellence

2022 | Illuminating Engineering Society, Illumination Award of Merit

2022 | IIDA Interior Design Awards, Public Spaces & Commercial Lobbies

2021 | SCDF Design Award, Civic

2021 | The Architect's Newspaper Best of Design Awards, Institutional–Religious

2021 | The Architect's Newspaper Best of Design Awards, Architectural Lighting–Indoor

MATT, alongside international architect Rem Koolhaas and LA-based Gruen Associates, undertook this visually daring new addition to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple complex along one of LA’s main thoroughfares. Its dedicated future purpose as an event space for the local congregation and for the larger community benefits from a bold design that will surely be a centerpiece of conversation for those gathered.

This geometrically complex structure houses three occupied levels, two mezzanines, an indoor atrium, a roof garden and a double-height event space. The exterior envelope is askew, with one vertical and three sloping walls, which demands unique structural elements and high-end interior finishes with tight construction tolerances. Custom-engineered framing attachments allowed for inter-story drift and minimized visual impacts, to compensate for the movement in the building that arose from double-height elevations.

The façade’s elaborate rain screen system features hexagonal panels, windows, flashing and sheeting. The team investigated the most efficient waterproofing options for a non-vertical structure.

The team dedicated extensive preconstruction analysis to security logistics for the neighboring, occupied school and synagogue, such as live scanning, badges and creating a separate entrance and exit for construction personnel. To compensate for the site stretching to the property line and attendant sequencing constraints (e.g. not being able to put a crane on Wilshire Boulevard), the team came up with creative solutions for timing trades like steel, which required an elaborate and large setup to execute.