The Pacific Design Center is the West coasts leading resource for artists and designers needs. Designed by Cesar Pelli, the Pacific Design Center, or PDC, is located in West Hollywood on the corner of the famous Melrose Avenue and San Vincente Boulevard. The Blue Center was the first established part of PDC. The 750,000 square foot structure opened in 1975. It is often referred to as ‘the blue whale’ because of its bold blue glass cladding and large scale that stands out from its surroundings.
Pelli is known for tall building and curved metal facades. Pelli said that he thinks, “for a while we will keep building up and up and up. The desire is there” yet he realizes that height is far from the only aspect that makes his structures. In reference to the Petronas Twin Towers height he says “How much are they [Petronas Twin Towers] able to capture your imagination and your heart? Being tall doesn’t necessarily do it.”
PDC has over 120 showrooms carrying 2,100 interior product lines to meet the most finicky designers needs. To further meet these needs, The Red Center will be built in 2010. This will add 400,000 square feet of world-class office space to Blue Center’s 750,000 square feet and Green Centers 450,000 square feet. The Blue center opened in 1975 and was followed by the Green center in 1988. 200,000 square feet of the Green Center was later converted to Class A; creative office space.
PDC offers design services such as designer referrals and consulting and buying services. They also hold special events in their many venues. The Pacific Design Plaza is two acres of great landscaping, water features, scenery, and sculpture. The Silverscreen Theater designed by Theo Kalominrakis seats 388 and pays tribute to the silent era of film with a modern twist. The Conference center holds seminars, lectures, programs, symposiums and meetings. Another venue is the Center Blue Atrium, which is 200 feet long and two stories tall. Also in the Blue center is the Center Blue Lobby.
MOCA is the Museum of Contemporary Art and has a branch at PDC. Wolfgang Puck also has two restaurants at PDC; Red Seven and WP. Michael Graves designed the Pacific Design Fitness Center.
Cesar Pelli is a world-renoun architect. Known for buildings such as The Petronas Twin Towers and the Washington National Airport, he claims he didn’t find his true passion for design until he was out of school and in practice. Pelli wrote his book, Observation for Young Architects, and contributed to many other books such as Portfolio Design, Saarinen’s Quest: A Memoir, Sections Through A Practice: Cesar Pelli and Associates and more. In his book, Observations for Young Architects, he analyzes eight connections that influence both the artistic and the practical aspects of architecture and “limit and strengthen our art but are seldom understood”. He lists these as time, construction, place, culture, design process, constituency, and oneself. He claims, “it is possible to ignore some connections but doing so undermines the architecture.” These eight connections take the ‘who, what, when, where, and why’ of design to next level.
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1 comment:
you have some key ideas in the first paragraph about "the blue whale," in the last paragraph you introduce Pelli's design mantra (8 parts)-tell us HOW the design mantra can be read in the Pacific Design Ctr. insert more of your voice over that of facts and figures, and eliminate details that don't support your IDEAS.
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