When Eric Owen Moss (former Director of SciARCH) decided to transform the industrial part of Culver City, CA into a centralized hub for businesses, he did so without fear or tendency toward tradition. The buildings of Culver City are “different” to say the least!!
I have always been a fan of the minimal, subtle architecture that provides a feeling of connection to the exterior without being over the top or loud. THIS is the complete opposite!!! I do, however, have a sincere appreciation of Eric’s courage and dedication to making a statement for the area, and testing atypical architectural practices in Culver City. He has brought life and business to the area….and apparantely, he brought me too. All the way from Louisiana. π
I had a very interesting conversation with a man walking by as I stared at the structure above. “So is that a stairway to heaven?” He asked. And I would HAVE to assume so! The structure lead to nothing above, and was blocked off by ropes. I was disappointed that we couldn’t walk through the structure but was also impressed by the strength and masculinity of the design.
The Samitaur is one of the primary buildings located in the area….and also became a resting spot for me! π While Brad sketched and ran all over the grounds, I took a nap! π
The “Bee Hive” above is my favorite part of Culver City. Inside of this interesting facade is a stairwell for the employees here.
You are NOT going to believe what had to happen to have this window built!!! There were thousands of CMU’s cut and fit precisely to create these undulating windows. The contractors putting this together may not have been thrilled but I’m sure the software design company within has been inspired by the creativity.
Our trip to Culver City was interesting; we explored the creativity of Eric and experienced a new strategy for design. And although we may not have agreed with everything, who does?! That’s why there’s variety in art, design, and design principles. So…here’s to being unique and testing boundaries!
