Los Angeles Music Center Ahmanson Founders Room

The Ahmanson Founders Room is a 2,500 ft2 addition buried in the first level of subterranean parking at The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. The sunken location of the room coupled with an almost clandestine preoccupation of exclusivity by the founders helped orient the design objectives. Belzberg Architects pursued the development of sensual lighting schemes and unique applications of material and texture to create a warm place of respite between the congested streets of L.A. and the brimming communal areas of The Music Center on event night.

The materials used for the ceiling and walls were actually low-grade douglas fir lumber and medium density fiberboard. However, sculpting the ceiling panels and perforating the wall panels with supple patterns and textures transformed low-grade into classy with stunning visual effects and a colorful saturation of the space. The character and unique components of this room have become an entity for which the Ahmanson Theatre founders can identify with and claim as their own.