OMA will design plaza at santa monica
image courtesy of OMA

 

 

 

OMA has been selected to realize a mixed-use complex in downtown santa monica. ‘the plaza at santa monica’, conceived with johannes van tilburg, banvard & soderbergh, is a 400,000+ square foot (37,000 square meter) project that is set to house a number of commercial programs including a boutique hotel, restaurants, retail, an open-air market, and extensive parking parking; it will have approximately 1,220 spots. the team’s community outreach program was one of their winning points in which their proposal sees the main square hosting a number of cultural and athletic activities, including a water feature which will function as an ice rink during winter months. the design itself is composed of a series of rotated and angled layers that emerge from the site in a way that allows the ground plane to echo through the building. a series of terraces steps up to the 225-room hotel, which crowns the complex. this is the first large-scale  project in the region for rem koolhaas and his office.