This headquarters was designed for one of Hollywood's most prominent literary and talent agencies at one of the busiest intersections in Los Angeles. Its design emerges from an irregular site and is based on a geometry of segmented circles with different center points and radii. Two curved wings wrap around a central atrium, crowned by a sloped conical skylight, to form an integrated whole.
The glazed north wing reflects the nearly continuous traffic of the half-million cars that pass by the building each day. The masonry south wing, by contrast, complements the form and scale of the quiet residential street onto which it fronts. Richly veined honey-colored travertine from Tivoli clads the building throughout.
To meet the owner's varied needs, the atrium was designed as an art-filled formal reception hall with a 100-seat screening room and gourmet kitchen. The atrium is also the headquarters' functional core through which everyone must pass on their way into and out of the building. Circuited by open walkways, glazed offices, high-visibility stairs, and a monumental entrance that puts interior activities on display, the atrium encourages the personal interaction that is the hallmark of CAA's operations. Illuminated at night, it transforms the building into a glowing urban lantern at the gateway to Beverly Hills.