Haven’t Checked Out This Inviting Mixed-use Development in Hollywood? Here’s What You’ve Been Missing
Back in 1938, architect William Lescaze designed Columbia Square in Hollywood to house the CBS recording studios and theaters, and through the years, the facility saw its share of stars.
It’s where Jack Benny and Orson Welles taped their best-known works; a young comedienne named Lucille Ball filmed her TV pilot; James Dean served as an usher, and Bob Dylan and Carlos Santana made legendary hits.
Now, decades later, the structure has been rebranded by developer Kilroy Realty Corp. as a 675,000-square-foot mixed-use development consisting of a luxury, glass-clad rental tower housing Hollywood’s most expensive penthouse (at $30,000 per month), along with offices, retail, green space, and the second location of Hinoki & the Bird restaurant opening on the first floor in September.
“We asked an esteemed collective of architects to cultivate bold ideas about the future of the American workplace, community and home life,” says Jay Rey Hipolito, vice president, residential, of Kilroy Realty.
“Rios Clementi Hale Studios, House & Robertson, and GBD Architects answered the query with stunning clarity and beauty. The result is a campus where the West Coast’s best creative minds will flock and flourish. Designed to foster the collaborative spirit, Columbia Square gives creativity a new home in Hollywood.”
Among the highlights of the Kelly Wearstler-designed living environs: floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces offering incredible views of the iconic Hollywood sign, Downtown L.A. and the Pacific Ocean; white-oak hardwood plank flooring; and kitchens with modern European-style cabinetry and Blomberg appliances.
Situated at 1550 N El Centro Ave.—on a 4.7-acre site near Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street—the 20-story tower houses 200 residences, with living options including one- and two-bedroom units from 752 to 1,303 square feet and a quartet of three-bedroom penthouses from 2,172 to 2,582 square feet. (Rental prices range from $3,300 to $30,000 per month.)
Residents also enjoy plentiful amenities, including a private entrance; 24-hour valet; rooftop area featuring a pool, deck, restaurant and bar; 1,600-square-foot fitness center; 450-square-foot Community Room; synthetic-turf dog run; and complimentary house bicycles and bike lockers. And, coming soon: a signature lobby restaurant and bar.
“Together, we hope to create a history of our own.”
Jay Rey Hipolito
“Columbia Square Living will allow its tenants to express their life amid creative energy, like minds and the Hollywood legacy that shapes our community and the media campus to which we belong,” says Jay Rey Hipolito.
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY CHRISTOPHER STINNER PHOTOGRAPHY