Culver City-based architecture firm Morphosis, led by 2005 Pritzker Prize-winner Thom Mayne, has designed numerous landmark buildings in Southern California. Some of its notable works include the Caltrans District 7 headquarters in Downtown and the West Coast campus of Emerson College in Hollywood. But the firm's latest project is something smaller in scale.
An entity affiliated with Chicago-based Cardiff Mason Development has tapped Morphosis to design a new self-storage facility in Westchester. The project, which would replace a mortuary located at 7366 Osage Avenue, calls for the construction of an approximately 50,000-square-foot structure consisting of three above-grade levels, three below-grade levels, and associated parking for 17 vehicles.
The building would stand roughly 53 feet in height, and is depicted in renderings with an exterior of metal inlaid with text. The text would be made visible with a yellow painted wall beneath the screens.
Construction is expected to occur over approximately 23 months, according to an initial study published by the City of Los Angeles. However, an official project timeline has not been announced.
The proposed storage facility was issued a determination letter in February, and was quickly appealed by the property's next-door neighbor - the Los Angeles Korean United Methodist Church. The appeal, which was rejected on July 1 by the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, argued that the project should have been subjected to more stringent environmental review due to potential impacts during construction and subsequent operations of the facility.
The project site, located just west of the I-405 Freeway, is located in a section of Westchester dominated by post-World War II single-family homes. However, a mixed-use apartment building opened across the street from the property along La Tijera Boulevard in 2019.
- Westchester (Urbanize LA)