Over two decades ago, Los Angeles based architects Frank Escher and Ravi GuneWardena embarked on a career trajectory that explored a trifecta of their collective passions: architectural history, cultural topography and the art world. ‘There are three legs of our practice and they are all connected – there are no firm walls between them, one shapes the other,' said Escher.
The duo has collaborated on historic preservation projects of iconic homes, from John Lautner’s Chemosphere to the Eames house. ‘Over 20 years ago, we were interested in architectural history and art but it has expanded dramatically from local [projects] to all over the US and Europe,' said Escher, ‘and, LA has become an international center for contemporary art.'
When they are not finishing up the Venice Biennale exhibition space for Sharon Lockhart - whom they have been working with for the past 15 years - they are collaborating with artists from Mike Kelley to Stephen Prina. ‘What has developed in the last 20 years, is that these interests are merging,' said GuneWardena. This includes projects such as the LACMA exhibition ‘The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka' and a pop-up shop for Hermès Petit h in Orange County.
The pair has just completed a new showroom for contemporary, antique and limited edition, hand-woven rug maker’s Woven, across the street from the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood; expertly realised with the help of the studio's Cristiano Aires-Texeira, who was the work's project manager.
‘Woven already had an interesting visual identity,' said GuneWardena, ‘they were already working with artist Rose Mendez and they spoke a similar language to what we are interested in.' This translates to ‘paring down any space, project or assignment to what is essential and then taking away all the distractions,' he said. Since Woven was a project about rugs, ‘we created an atmosphere where the focus is on that product more than architectural work. Though we take great care in creating the architecture, it’s always about giving the pride of place to the activity or product we are working on.'
The rugs are set amid expansive concrete spaces conjuring the atmosphere of the international souks and bazaars in a labyrinth of different routes and pockets with natural light streaming in, positioned as a permanent installation. ‘It’s an attitude that came from working with artists and designing exhibitions,' said Escher. ‘It’s important to understand how you frame things, so people see what you want them to see.' According to GuneWardena, ‘the other thing that informs the layout is really a choreographic path through the space. How can the architecture inform, rather than using signs or a sales person?'
Back to residential and cultural endeavors, current projects include working on restoring Paul Williams personal home, a Richard Neutra house, and a church in Lincoln Heights that was central to the Chicano rights movement.
Another part of the team’s work that developed in the last few decades is exploring spirituality and their environments, as well as the interesting history of religions melding together. Next up for the team is building a Buddhist retreat center in the California San Gabriel Mountain range, and an episcopal Franciscan monastery in an affordable housing project in Riverside, California.
MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY
INFORMATION
-
Brunello Cucinelli’s festive takeover of Harrods turns the department store into a cashmere wonderlandUnveiled this morning, the Umbrian fashion house has taken over the store’s iconic Brompton Road windows, celebrating the spirit of its home town of Solomeo in fantastical fashion
-
Each mundane object tells a story at Pace’s tribute to the everydayIn a group exhibition, ‘Monument to the Unimportant’, artists give the seemingly insignificant – from discarded clothes to weeds in cracks – a longer look
-
Discover The Legacy, Hong Kong’s eye-catching new condoThe Legacy, by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, is a striking new condo tower that aims to ‘create a sense of community and solidarity among people’
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
-
Tour Cano House, a Los Angeles home like no other, full of colour and quirkCano House is a case study for tranquil city living, cantilevering cleverly over a steep site in LA’s Mount Washington and fusing California modernism with contemporary flair
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
-
With a freshly expanded arts centre at Dartmouth College, Snøhetta brings levity to the Ivy LeagueThe revamped Hopkins Center for the Arts – a prototype for the Met Opera house in New York –has unveiled its gleaming new update
