Warner Bros. to Expand Into 'Iceberg' HQ Designed by Frank Gehry
Once upon a time, Hollywood Studios had an important architectural presence in the city—they were like monuments to the movie-making process. With this project, I was trying to recapture that feeling of old Hollywood splendor.
Frank Gehry, Architect
Media titan Warner Bros. has unveiled plans to expand operations into a pair of Frank Gehry-designed office buildings adjacent to its main Burbank Media District lot in Los Angeles. The company will be the sole tenant of the two buildings, which are architecturally inspired by the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking. Developed by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Worthe Real Estate Group and its partner, Stockbridge Real Estate Fund, the project is dubbed Second Century Project as a nod to Warner Bros.'s 100th anniversary in 2023.
To passersby on the adjacent Ventura freeway, the 21st century iteration of those past monuments assumes the form of a long, sculptural glass façade that resembles floating icebergs. On the studio side, a terraced, metal-punched façade relates to the scale and character of the existing studio buildings, according to the Canadian-American architect.
Collectively measuring 800,000 square feet, the complex will consist of a seven-story building of approximately 355,000 square feet, plus a nine-story building that spans 445,000 square feet. Occupancy of Phase I is expected in 2022, and Phase II occupancy will coincide with the Studio's centennial celebration. Both structures will be built to LEED certification standards.
As part of the transaction, Warner Bros. will also purchase the Burbank Studios property, exclusive of the land on which the two Gehry buildings are to be built. Those will be owned by Worthe Real Estate Group and Stockbridge. The Burbank Studios purchase provides Warner Bros. with additional production office space and eight sound stages, as well as a mill building and a commissary.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place in the fall of 2019, with construction of both phases expected to be completed by 2023. According to a release, Warner Bros. plans to work closely with various agencies across the City of Burbank throughout the building process to ensure a community-conscious build. The new offices will upgrade the company's technology to the latest innovations.
"This is an opportunity to reimagine not only our workspace but our future," says Warner Bros. executive vice president and CEO Kim Williams.
"Along with our historic lot, the newly expanded campus will fuel increased creativity, facilitate collaboration, and help us attract and retain the world's best and most diverse talent. It will also better position our company for the future and provide for more production capacity. This is an investment in our employees, our creative and business partners, and the Burbank community that will continue to be our home for decades to come."
