IAC Brings First Sculptural Green Wall and Custom-Designed Public Plaza to Sunset Boulevard

LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IAC, a leading media and Internet company, announced that it selected multi-disciplinary design firm Rios Clementi Hale Studios for the innovative renovation of its West Hollywood office building.  The brick building will be "draped" with a six-story sculptural lattice that will hold native plantings sustainably irrigated by recaptured underground water. An open, public space will also be added, with custom-designed seating and bike racks on the vast entry plaza, welcoming the community along a commercial stretch of Sunset Boulevard.

"The IAC building at 8800 Sunset Boulevard is undergoing a stunning architectural transformation, which will breathe new life and function into the current structure. We wanted our building to not just be another office space but to become a gathering destination," says Christian Bryan, Vice President, Real Estate and Facilities, IAC. "We are proud to offer the City of West Hollywood a green wall and a public space that will provide a breath of fresh air for pedestrians on the iconic Sunset Strip, and further build a sense of community."

The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed later this year.

The dramatic steel structure will face the street with a living garden of Southern California hillside native plants selected by Paul Kephart of Rana Creek, a globally known expert in planted roofs.  A sustainable built-in irrigation solution, using an existing underground river water flow that is being pumped and a digital monitoring system, will make sure the specimens receive the appropriate amount of water and maintain the correct pH balance.

"The lattice has the illusion of peeling off the building," says project designer Sebastian Salvadó, a senior associate at Rios Clementi Hale Studios.  "Employees will have views of the landscape below and the Hollywood Hills beyond."  Vertical troughs ranging from 18' to 50' feet long are attached to a white brick façade at their highest point and protrude as much as 14' feet when they meet the second floor, creating a garden awning.  On the west side of the structure, the three-dimensional planted grid flattens to become a green roof over a new restaurant.

The grid structure's apertures allow light to stream through, while the lines of the lattice create shade down below.  The resulting dramatic shadow patterns are echoed in pre-cast concrete pavers that extend to the street edge, forming a public plaza.  Large planters bring flora to street level.  Custom-designed geometric-shaped benches are made of steel plates and are powder coated white.  The hollow forms underneath are powder coated yellow to correspond with the lattice structure's underside.

The building will also be activated at night—a busy time in this area of restaurants and clubs.  Rather than illuminate the face of the grid, Rios Clementi Hale Studios opted to light the lattice from behind, so illumination emanates through the plants.  Likewise, in-ground lighting reflecting off the yellow furniture interiors will transform the seating into glowing lanterns.  "By day it's a California hillside and by night it acts as a big urban lamp to illuminate the plaza," notes Salvadó. The building will be branded with two IAC signs strategically placed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios and designed by Bruce Mau. 

About IAC
IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) is a leading media and Internet company comprised of more than 150 brands and products, including Ask.com, About.com, Match.com, HomeAdvisor and Vimeo.  Focused on the areas of search, applications, online dating, media and eCommerce, IAC's family of websites is one of the largest in the world, with over a billion monthly visits across more than 100 countries. The Company is headquartered in New York City and has offices worldwide. To view a full list of IAC companies, please visit www.iac.com.

About Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Rios Clementi Hale Studios has earned an international reputation for its collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach, establishing an award-winning tradition across an unprecedented range of design disciplines.  The firm's four principals—Mark Rios, FAIA, FASLA, Julie Smith-Clementi, IDSA, Frank Clementi, AIA, AIGA, and Bob Hale, FAIA—comprise a team involved in every aspect of design, from practice to education.  Since 1985, the architects, landscape architects, planners, and urban, interior, exhibit, graphic, and product designers at Rios Clementi Hale Studios have been creating buildings, places, and products that are thoughtful, effective, and beautiful.

Media Contacts

IAC: Isabelle Weisman, IAC, 212.314.7361, [email protected]

Rios Clementi Hale Studios: Julie D. Taylor, Taylor & Company, 310.247.1099, [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140612/117593

SOURCE IAC