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Iron Architect Kelly Architects
Since 1991, George Kelly has been cooking up some delicious designs for Los Angeles restaurants. He’s designing for a new generation of diners - no more three-hour, white table linen power lunches. May/June 2012
wood and vine
public school 612
Shaken & Stirred 2 Architecture Leaders Today
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the falls
The era of white tablecloth power lunches has passed, making way for a new class of restaurants served up by Kelly Architects. Story by Paige L. Hill
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Wood and Vine Construction: Cal Asia Construction Interior Designer: Kenneth Brown Design Flooring: Flexco MEP Engineer: South Coast Engineering Group Structural Engineer: Charles Tan & Associates Developer/Project Manager: Urban One
For restaurant critics who believe the City of Angels cannot compete with the long history of New York City’s eateries, architect George Kelly is challenging the norm by bringing some “old school” vibes into California restaurants fronted by a new class of chefs. Kelly Architects, Inc. is an interior architectural design studio specializing in restaurant, bar and nightclub projects. Founded in 2003 the Californian firm has been instrumental in the success of many noted venues in Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. “Some firms periodically dabble in restaurant design, but they often do not have the expertise to dedicate into making a venue unique and the result is that their spaces are derivative,” Kelly said. “We are a studio of bright, creative and young designers dedicated to providing serious architectural and interior design services for innovative entrepreneurs.” The team of architects and interior designers at his firm eat, drink, and breathe restaurant design, so to speak. “We have a restaurant program in our office where we purposefully visit a specific neighborhood and eat at a few restaurants back-to-back and 4 Architecture Leaders Today
then thoroughly discuss what we did and did not like about the spaces or the experience,” Kelly said. “The era of three-hour, white tablecloth power lunches has passed. Instead we’re in a new phase creating restaurants for hardworking young people who most likely worked through their lunch, leave the office around seven or eight, and want a locally brewed beer and some upscale bar food.” It is little wonder with the firm’s approach creating the perfect ambience that they have attracted so many experienced restaurateurs with big name spaces, like the historic Taft Building in Hollywood, once home to the major studios during Tinsel Town’s golden era. “The building owner asked us to master plan the ground-floor of the building and to see what layout would be most effective and beneficial for the space. We noted this little parking lot out back and I thought to myself, this could make an amazing outdoor cocktail lounge,” Kelly said. For the nearly year-round pleasant weather, an outdoor lounge was the perfect addition to the Golden Age of Hollywood-inspired 3,200 sq. ft. bar just inside – Wood & Vine.
“The ability to get some fresh air from a crowded bar is a plus, especially when it is a well-designed patio lounge instead of a smoke-filled alley,” Kelly said. On the interior, Kelly Architecture brought together vintage and vintageinspired pieces to create an authentic 1940s Hollywood experience like Art Deco geometric custom rubber flooring and a worn in wood bar created from found pieces and millwork fabricated specifically for Wood & Vine. “You know you’ve done it right when people come in and say ‘Wow, how long has this place been here?’ because it has an authentic feel,” Kelly said. “We don’t create restaurants that are trendy for a few years; we go for a more timeless design that feels relaxed and natural. We are presenting a look that will continue to be in style 20 years from now.” Though the place may feel old, in terms of libations and patrons “flow,” Kelly’s concepts were all modern. Kelly’s design keeps bar patrons circulating – an attribute that is key to a venue’s survival. “George envisioned the space as an extension of the interior with the interior wall sliding away and the sky as the ceiling. We designed the niches
opposite: Wood & Vine, Hollywood, Calif. The Taft Building bar recalls the Golden Age of Hollywood. The historic mezzanine (pictured) added 1300 sq. ft. in space to the often crowded bar. Kelly Architects saw potential where many others didn’t. They even turned a dusty little parking lot behind the bar into a sleek, modern outdoor tiki lounge. above: Every detail of the bar was tended to in creating an authentically feeling Art Deco watering hole. The custom geometric rubber flooring is key to the look as is the custom bar created out of reclaimed pieces of other bars. The clean lines of the modern lighting and seating don’t detract for the more ornamental pieces.
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clockwise, from above: Where there was once a parking lot, now sits a sleek, modern take on the tiki bar. When the client said he envisioned happy clients brunching at Wood & Vine, Kelly Architects’ interior designer envisioned the outside space with the custom fire-pit for cooler LA days. The exposed brick is perfect complement for the mod ceiling and the shaker furniture. The meshing of styles creates the unique experience that is Wood & Vine. The bar was fabricated from reclaimed pieces of wood from other bars and custom built for Wood & Vine. Everything was researched, from the perfectly tall bar stool with an industrial edge to the bag/coat hook hidden under the bar. The view from a comfortable leather chair on the mezzanine is the perfect spot to see who’s ordering from the bar, like the film and music professionals that frequent the bar. The color palette of gray, white, natural wood and mustard yellow makes for both a modern and antique interior design style.
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Public School 612 Construction: Pieper Construction Steel Fabrication: Cornerstone Steel Lighting Fabricator: Filament Lighting Millwork/Furniture: Chris Karlson Designs
into the wall for an exterior ‘art gallery’ effect and the cedar shingled walls were to allow the space to weather naturally and to add a warmer element that juxtaposed with the brick of the Taft Building,” said Director of Interior Design for Kelly Architects Jen Smith. “Our job is to entice people to the space, to make them feel comfortable enough to order the food and drinks — and then to order another round,” Kelly said. The expansive bar at Wood & Vine makes for plenty of space to saddle up on a bar stool. The mezzanine is packed with hip tables to lure patrons upstairs and get a view of downstairs. The outdoor cocktail lounge is the main draw for those who want to get an eyeful of the stars overhead. “The outside fire-pit design came when our client told us that he wanted to seat the patio for brunch. The ledge is at 30 inches – the standard height of both a dining table and a barstool,” Smith said. “For brunch they pull up stools and at night, people can sit on it.” And from the ample seating on the mezzanine, one might catch a glimpse of a different kind of star that frequents the Hollywood bar. “The historic mezzanine is a major advantage since it truly doubles the space,” Kelly said. With the prominent staircase and the large double hung windows overlooking both the boulevard and the back patio, people want to be upstairs according to Kelly. The mezzanine added 1,300 sq. ft. 8 Architecture Leaders Today
Another of Kelly Architects’ recent projects redefined the phrase “old school” by tapping into a palette of chalkboards and composition notebooks to create a public school-inspired bar with an adult edge, the Public School 612 project in Los Angeles, Calif. The Grill Concepts Inc., restaurant group hired Kelly Architects to come up with a new concept and design for a neighborhood bar where locals could gather after work for a locally brewed beer or specially crafted cocktail that was to be located within their DTLA Daily Grill Location. “The Daily Grill restaurants are great for attracting the white collar businessman for power lunches, but the Public School concept is meant to attract the new ‘blue collar’ or what we call ‘non-collar.’ The professional who resembles most of us — working hard and watching their dollars but also wanting to enjoy a drink after work in an appealing atmosphere,” Kelly said. “Downtown is quickly becoming a very street friendly and social urban neighborhood and it’s amazing to watch it develop,” Smith said. “We decided to create a lunchroom/cafeteria for the working class, so to speak. “Our use of natural, raw materials — steel, wood, cork, and plain white tile give the illusion that this place was built with semi precious materials, not luxurious fabrics or leather, and that you can easily hose this place down at the end of the night, although I wouldn’t recommend it!”
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Since the Public School 612 concept could serve as a prototype for future Public School projects, Kelly Architects was asked to be involved in every part of the decision making including staff uniforms, logo, menu graphics, and custom furniture created specifically for a game of checkers. “It was very important to us to create a unique ambiance that did not feel the stereotypical LA bar, but more of a local neighborhood hangout,” Kelly said. “We are absolutely playing up the locally brewed beers and homegrown ingredients. We also emphasized a layout where we mainly used common tables instead of individual tables. We’ve noticed a new generation of clientele who enjoy engaging the stranger next to them in conversation, regardless of knowing them or not — we love this shift in the downtown of Los Angeles attitude and it seems the use of common tables successfully supports it.” The 750 pound communal tables were built from W8 steel beams and oak planks at 36 inches height and paired with backless barstools. “Lastly, we installed steel tip darts at the south end of the space — you can ask for darts at the bar and play until you’ve won 301 half a dozen times.,” Smith said. The ability to be a hands-on architect at every level of the restaurant’s design and experience is one of the reasons Kelly created his own firm initially. “I’ve always enjoyed drawing, visualizing and seeing how a building
opposite: Public School 612 in Los Angeles, Calif. The 750 pound communal tables were built from W8 steel beams and oak planks at 36 inches height and paired with backless barstools. above: The raw concrete, wood, iron and industrial chic details makes for a totally non-academic experience. Especially paired with some of the locally brewed beers and delicious snacks.
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The Falls Construction: Pieper Construction Glass Distributor: Pulp Glass Millwork/Furniture: Chris Karlson Designs
comes together, but as I got further into my architecture career I became more and more involved in how the business worked after we left. The restaurant business was where I really found my niche,” Kelly said. “When I was growing up in Dallas there were a lot of buildings going up at a rapid pace. As kids we used to sneak into these buildings and look around. I was completely captured with seeing how buildings were built. how the light streamed in and the details found within the architecture. Today I call that my curse, since I find it difficult to look at a building without dismantling it.” Kelly’s near-savant approach to restaurant design is why his firm rarely chases projects, instead letting restaurateurs approach them, like The Falls project in downtown Los Angeles. The client called for a bar that would evoke memories of the sexy 1970s with some texture and organic materials thrown in. “She was looking to create an original experience in a sea of trendy nightclubs in downtown, this is not a place for PBR or a Red Bull and vodka – this is for one-of-a-kind drinks,” Kelly said. “She gave us the basic imagery and we turned it into a reality. We wanted this to be the ultimate 12 Architecture Leaders Today
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gem of a bar. This is an easy first date atmosphere with both design and cocktails to impress, but it’s also got a great neighborhood scene.” Though the owner had a specific vibe in mind for The Falls, she allowed Kelly Architects to use their own creativity in bringing it to life with handmade copper walls, stacked natural wood logs and glittering, glass tile ceiling over the bar. “Our thought was that we wanted a contemporary interpretation of the glamorous homes and grottos of the 1970s — a place that would be considered very ‘earthen-chic’, hence the use of the logs, rock, and brass,” Smith said. “This could be considered a bit odd, but our design process is musically driven and I would be lying if I told you that we don’t listen to specific genre music when beginning the design process — there were some groovy funk tunes during this particular project!” The finished product pleased the stylish client and her new stylish clientèle — making the bar an instant hit in the neighborhood. “The real reward is going back and seeing how The Falls is packed every night,” Kelly said. “I enjoy visiting the projects we work on, to sit on a stool
and watch people enjoying your work. For us, it never gets old.” “Our clients are amazing. They are an intelligent group of people who are motivated and trusting of our firm which makes the design process of their space a fantastic collaboration,” Smith said. Kelly Architects has several exciting projects on the boards to keep them busy: like The Clifton’s Cafeteria remodel in downtown Los Angeles, a project on Catalina Island, another Public School project with the Grill Concepts, Inc and revisioning and remodeling the historic Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach. “It is never a bad time to get into the restaurant industry when you are working with seasoned professionals like the owners and chefs our firm attracts,” Kelly said. “I personally would not own a restaurant because it is a tough business with a seven day work week. Our clients are interested in working with us because we share their enthusiasm for their concept, their food, and the experience. We share their passions. We like to fully immerse ourselves in a restaurant design. At the end we hand over the keys to the pros, sit down at the bar and order a good Irish whiskey.” May/June 2012 13
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