Placemaker: Heart of Glass
 Completed in December 2009, the US$10.5m refurbishment and expansion of the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center aimed to transform what was a collection of unremarkable, disparate buildings into a unified campus with a façade that created a recognisable identity, as well as creating a new staff and visitor cafeteria.
The 16,000 sq ft medical centre spans five city blocks on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard. To develop the exterior into a visual gateway for the campus, architectural firm Taylor used colour, landscaping and streetscaping to develop a sense of place. A notable feature was the undulating glass sculptured glass curtain wall system of the new Rejuv(e)nate Cafe.
“I saw an opportunity to do something more playful with the streetside façade of the cafe-to-be and challenged contractors to come up with a cost-effective alternative to flat glass,” says Taylor’s project manager, Harbans Ghatoade. “When the scaffolding was removed, people saw it as a work of art.”
The 400-seat, 1,500 square foot cafeteria includes a 500 square foot terrace, and offers space for both dining and relaxation. Its circulation plan leads people from food stations and a coffee bar to the dining area and to lounge-style seating with upholstered chairs and coffee tables. Transparent resin-formed hanging ‘clouds’ and a decorative rippled ‘water wall’ help define the spaces and add visual interest, as well as helping to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere. A programmable lighting system adjusts light levels throughout the day to maximise daylight and support energy efficiency.
The cafe acts as a hub for the medical centre, carrying people through rather than past the space. “Creating a clear connection from the parking garage to the concourse, and then extending the concourse right through the cafe and into the medical facilities let us have an inviting space that many people can see,” says Mark Costa, Kaiser Permanente’s executive director. “Even if they don’t stop, they note what it is and how they might use it when they can.”
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