Yesterday, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple officially broke ground on the Audrey Irmas Pavilion, a multi-use space adjacent the Temple's historic sanctuary in Koreatown. 

The $75-million project, located at the corner of Wilshire and Harvard Boulevard, will consist of a three-story, 55,000-square-foot structure that will house cultural, religious, and community events.  The Temple is currently finalizing plans with the Annenberg Foundation to partner on a new space within the Pavilion geared toward promoting purposeful aging through social events, financial education courses, and other activities.

Architect Rem Koolhaas and his OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu are designing the Pavilion, which will be their firm's first building in Los Angeles.  The project will include a new chapel and terrace, a ballroom, meeting rooms, performance spaces, and a rooftop sky garden.

Gruen Associates and Studio MLA are also serving as part of the design team.

“We wanted to focus on communicating the energy of gathering and exchange," said Shigematsu.  "The Audrey Irmas Pavilion is an active gesture, shaped by respectful moves away from the surrounding historic buildings, reaching out onto Wilshire Boulevard to create a new presence. We are excited to work with Wilshire Boulevard Temple to create a new anchor for the community at large."

"Wilshire Boulevard Temple has been a major religious and cultural presence in Los Angeles since 1862; our stunning sanctuary on Wilshire Boulevard is a historic landmark,” said Rabbi Steven Leder. “In creating the Audrey Irmas Pavilion, we sought a design that would not only create much-needed new facilities, but also embody the vision and intention of our congregation to be a dynamic part of the 21st-century spiritual and cultural conversation that is Los Angeles. We are thrilled with the dramatic, beautiful and functional design created by Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu, and can’t wait to see it realized. We are deeply indebted to Audrey Irmas and the many other contributors who have made this project possible.”

Completion of the Audrey Irmas Pavilion is expected in 2020.