The Viper Room, a landmark nightclub on the Sunset Strip, could be rebuilt as part of a proposed mixed-use development now being considered by the City of West Hollywood.
The project, which would span the south side of Sunset Boulevard between San Vicente Boulevard and Larrabee Street, calls for razing a collection of single-story structures and an adjoining parking lot to make way for a 369,000-square-foot building featuring a 115-room hotel, 31 condominiums, and 10 units of affordable housing. In addition to a new home for the Viper Room, the proposed development would also include resident and guest amenities such as a gym, a movie screening room, a rooftop pool, and 269 parking spaces on three basement levels.
Silver Creek Development Co., which paid $80 million for the development site in 2017, has tapped Culver City-based architecture firm Morphosis to design the mid-rise structure and Plus Development to lead the entitlement process. The 15-story structure - standing approximately 200 feet in height - would consist of an "undulating one-to-three-story transparent volume," along Sunset Boulevard, wrapping the east and west facades. This space would include the new Viper Room, as well as additional food and beverage venues.
Two separate structures would rise above the podium, with the hotel to be located along San Vicente and the residences to be located on Larrabee. The two wings would frame a 120-foot opening, maintaining existing view corridors and creating an iconic architectural element for the project.
A bridge structure would cap the two separate volumes, housing a publicly-accessible restaurant within, and amenity decks and swimming pools for residents and hotel guests above.
According to an initial study distributed by the City of West Hollywood, construction of the proposed development - which is being called 8850 Sunset Boulevard - is anticipated to begin in May 2021. Work would conclude after approximately 32 months, with project delivery expected in February 2024.
Despite its unique design, the 8850 Sunset development features a similar mix of uses to other projects that have recently landed on the Sunset Strip.
The $300-million Edition Hotel & Residences - which recently opened a few blocks west - and the Pendry Hotel & Residences - now under construction at the former site of the House of Blues nightclub - both feature a hotel and branded condominiums.
A 22-story tower planned for a mid-block site at 9034 Sunset Boulevard would also include housing and condominiums.
