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Program
Turn a rundown hotel in a residential section of Beverly Hills into an up-to-the-minute retro-chic hangout for people in the fashion and entertainment industries. Originally called the Beverly Carlton, the hotel comprises a trio of buildings (the Olympic, the Beverly, and the Canon), each facing a different street and dating from a different part of the postwar era. Although the Canon Building began life as an apartment block and none of the three buildings is physically connected to its mates, the structures have long functioned as one hotel.
The hotel has history. Marilyn Monroe lived in Room 305 for two years, and episodes of I Love Lucy showed Ricky and Lucy checking in. But the Beverly Carlton had lost its glamour and most of its charm by the time Brad Korzen and Jeff Elowe, two young developers, bought the property in 1997.
Transforming the place into the Avalon, architects Hank Koning, FAIA, and Julie Eizenberg worked with interior designer Kelly Wearstler to recapture the original postwar spirit while creating a free-flowing character. In the process, they upgraded all mechanical and electrical systems.
Solution
Making three separate buildings feel and work as one hotel was the biggest challenge. Painting all the structures a distinctive seafoam green was a simple but effective way of linking them visually. The architects didn't stop there. They pared down the architecture--stripping away modifications such as canvas awnings and...