A Hollywood development will serve as a collaborative center for artists, students, and those in the entertainment industry. It also will be one of the area’s largest Black-owned businesses.
Designed by HKS, with landscape design by Hood Design Studio, CMNTY (pronounced “community”) Culture Campus will consist of 430,000 square feet of office space, studio and production space, pre- and post-production facilities, education space, and performance venues. CMNTY Culture Campus also will feature a 500-seat auditorium that will occupy the street-level corner of the building, as well as a fifth-floor rooftop terrace.
Located on a nearly two-acre site at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue, the CMNTY Culture Campus will be designed to appeal to creatives and the entertainment industry that supports them—including artists, content creators, tech and media companies, agencies and management companies, and other entertainment sectors.
The owner-developer, CMNTY Culture, an entertainment and media company, announced plans for the project in mid-March. Artist and businessman Philip Lawrence and entertainment business manager Thomas St. John founded CMNTY Culture in 2020.
“The entertainment industry is experiencing a time of unparalleled excitement and change, bringing about an opportunity to reimagine the landscape upon which content is created and consumed,” Lawrence, who owns nearby recording studio the Record Plant, says in a statement. “Content creators need a physical epicenter, a place that celebrates their work and the power of community. CMNTY Culture Campus will be a place where creative people will want to hang out with likeminded individuals and experience something special.”
The owners say they want CMNTY Culture Campus to be not only a new Hollywood landmark, but also a vital member of the community where neighbors such as Hollywood High School, located across the street, feel at home.
“We see this place being an immersive playground for students, artists, creators, and innovators of all types while also creating more opportunities in the entertainment industry,” St. John, CMNTY Culture CEO, says in a statement.
Owner and developer: CMNTY Culture
Design architect and architect of record: HKS
MEP engineer: Arup
Structural engineer: Walter P Moore
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Jul 22, 2015
Despite China's 'ghost cities,' the country continues construction boom
Cities continue to spring up in the heart of China. Designed to accommodate millions, many are still nearly empty.
Sponsored | Cladding and Facade Systems | Mar 24, 2015
Designers turn a struggling mall into a hub of learning and recreation
Architects help Nashville government transform a struggling mall into a new community space.
Museums | Mar 5, 2015
A giant, silver loop in Dubai will house the Museum of the Future
The Sheikh of Dubai hopes the $136 million museum will serve as an incubator for ideas and real designs—a global destination for inventors and entrepreneurs.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Edmonton considering 'freezeway' to embrace winter
If the new Edmonton Freezeway is constructed, residents will have an 11-km course that winds through the city and allows them to skate to work, school, and other city activities.
Mixed-Use | Feb 11, 2015
Developer plans to turn Eero Saarinen's Bell Labs HQ into New Urbanist town center
Designed by Eero Saarinen in the late 1950s, the two-million-sf, steel-and-glass building was one of the best-funded and successful corporate research laboratories in the world.
| Jan 15, 2015
Libeskind unveils 'zig zag' plan for recreational center near Vilnius ski area
Perched on the highest peak between Vilnius' historic quarter and downtown, the Vilnius Beacon will be a hub for visiting skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.
| Jan 7, 2015
4 audacious projects that could transform Houston
Converting the Astrodome to an urban farm and public park is one of the proposals on the table in Houston, according to news site Houston CultureMap.
| Aug 6, 2014
BIG reinvents the zoo with its 'Zootopia' natural habitat concept [slideshow]
Bjarke Ingels’ firm is looking to improve the 1960s-designed Givskund Zoo in Denmark by giving the animals a freer range to roam.
| Jul 30, 2014
German students design rooftop solar panels that double as housing
Students at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences designed a solar panel that can double as living space for the Solar Decathlon Europe.
| Jul 24, 2014
MIT researchers explore how to make wood composite-like blocks of bamboo
The concept behind the research is to slice the stalk of bamboo grass into smaller pieces to bond together and form sturdy blocks, much like conventional wood composites.
