Dear Reader, Our industry continues to witness a crisis in lending for design and construction that is effectively touching every market sector and geographic area.
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I am convinced this downturn in the economy will strengthen our organizations and build character within each of us. We all will come out of it stronger and a little wiser about our core business practices.
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As an invited guest, I recently attended Alan Greenspan’s discussion on the economy. What brought the most clarity to me was when he said, “The finance industry will begin to recover when the amount of outstanding loans is at least equal to the assets that the loans are against.” Another resounding message: this recession could be as long as three to four years, with a bottoming out in mid- to late 2010. Given the current economic climate, we continue to ask our clients: how can we best serve you and meet your needs? We’re also in discussions with our peers, contractors and consultants. We asked the Forum, Associates, Vice Presidents and Principals – which represent the entire firm at HKS – to form committees and outline ideas for the firm’s next five years of operations. This information has been developed into an immediate call to action, to be shared with all employees. I am convinced this downturn in the economy will strengthen our organizations and build character within each of us. We all will come out of it stronger and a little wiser about our core business practices. Following the recession, I believe the market will come back extraordinarily strong. And, we all will need to be prepared with even more efficient and lean organizations. Funding for new projects will come from government resources, either directly or indirectly. We anticipate government funding for federal and state office buildings through the Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). Many of these will be design-build with the integrated project delivery model. State and local municipalities also will be looking at bond elections to support community buildings, sports venues and school projects. HKS is up to the challenge of overcoming our current economic adversity. Our plan begins by meeting the needs of our clients and collaborating with peers and consultants within our industry. We are optimistic about the future and are excited to be on the forefront of the architectural practice, being ranked the No. 10 firm in the world by BD World Architecture magazine. Our latest issue of INNOVATE presents many exciting features including an interview with Rick Elice, co-author and playwright of “Jersey Boys” and Steven Ehrenberg, vice president of technical production for BASE Entertainment, promoters of “Jersey Boys”; a profile of the recently opened Montage Beverly Hills; a discussion on trends in sports branding; and an overview of HKS’s Clinical Solutions & Research group. In addition, we hope you enjoy our staple “Design Details,” “Around the World” and “On the Boards” sections. As always, we want to thank our clients, consultants and builders for allowing us to continue to work in a collaborative manner. Please enjoy this issue of INNOVATE. Sincerely,
H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP Chairman and CEO
INNOVATE
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2
SPRING/SUMMER 2009
WWW.HKSINC.COM
+1.214.969.5599
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In this issue
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DESIGN DETAILS Hail to the Architect Ideas Unleashed Best Places to Work Getting in the Zone Viva Aviva
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AROUND THE WORLD Modern technology is changing the way we live, work and play. Paul Hyett describes its effect on our built environment today – noting the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium – and in the near future.
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DESIGN FROM THE BRAND OUT Branding isn’t just for Nike® anymore. Coffee shops, banks, retail stores and stadiums are getting into the game. Read more about how this branding trend is coming to a sports venue near you.
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“JERSEY BOYS” – THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD (UNTIL NOW) “Jersey Boys” is taking audiences by storm – and the show’s reviews are proof positive of its success. But, who’s behind the production? Meet Rick Elice and Steven Ehrenberg, who will give us a glimpse behind the scenes at the Jersey Boys Theatre.
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MONTAGE BEVERLY HILLS DEBUTS Few cities in the world conjure such images of affluence and glamour as Beverly Hills. HKS Hill Glazer Studio proudly announces the opening of one of its premiere design projects, Montage Beverly Hills.
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WHERE CLINICIANS AND ARCHITECTS MEET: HKS CLINICAL SOLUTIONS & RESEARCH HKS’s Clinical Solutions & Research bridges form and function, creating flexible buildings that stand the test of time. The article introduces you to three key leaders of the group who prove that healthcare design does affect the healing environment.
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ON THE BOARDS A hotel operator in Doha, Qatar is presented with four options for the design of the Solis Hotel & Residences. Which would you choose?
HKS is committed to being a good steward of the environment. INNOVATE is published on recycled paper, which is FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council), and printed using soy-based inks. On the cover: Solis Hotel & Residences - Doha, Qatar
credits EDITORIAL HKS Communications; DESIGN HKS GrafxLab; PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION cover: Spine3D;
pg. 3: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 4: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 5: (top left and center) HKS, Inc.; (lower left) compliments of Building Design + Construction; (lower right) Nick Lu; pg. 6-7: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 8: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 11: (both images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 12/13: HKS, Inc.; pg. 14/15: HKS, Inc.; pg. 17: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 18-23: (all images) Scott Francis/Montage Beverly Hills; pg. 25-27: (all images) HKS, Inc.; pg. 28: Spine3D: pg. 29 (all images): HKS, Inc.: pg. 30 (top three images): HKS, Inc.; (bottom): Spine3D; PUBLISHING Innovative Publishing Ink. Contact Aran Jackson at 502.423.7272 or ajackson@ipipublishing.com
INNOVATE
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2
SPRING/SUMMER 2009
WWW.HKSINC.COM
+1.214.969.5599
DES
IGN
DET AILS
HAIL TO THE ARCHITECT
IDEAS UNLEASHED
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt may not have been an architect by trade. But, he did sketch the original design of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The drawing was passed along to French architect Paul Phillipe Cret, who designed the facility. Today, HKS designers are continuing his art deco style with the addition of two buildings – one to the left and the other to the right – of the historic tower. A collaboration of the National Capital Planning Commission, the Maryland State Historical Preservation Office and Hartman-Cox Architects, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will complement the historic landmark on one of the nation’s premier war casualty reception sites. 1
Terry Hajduk’s vision is to produce facilities that respect the past, build on the present and define the future. For nearly a decade, he has served as the nation’s foremost learning environment specialist. As HKS’s Learning Environment Design Specialist, he offers clients his expertise and dedication to envisioning, developing and creating exceptional learning environments. Working with educators, designers and students, Hajduk has shaped education environments all over the world. He is also part of a national coalition of experts conducting a study and writing a white paper on “what higher education will look like in 15 years.” 2
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GETTING There wasn’t a IN THE shortage of star power at the ZONE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
The $5 Lunch Break, the firmwide Design Fellowship, HKS.edu professional development, Operation HKS Cares and Spotlight awards were just a few of the perks, according to Building Design & Construction jurors, when selecting HKS as a best place to work in the architectural, engineering and construction industry. More than 45 entries were judged in two categories – firms with fewer than 100 employees and firms with 100 or more employees. Jurors asked, “Does HKS treat its employees well?” “Do they genuinely emphasize employee development and community involvement?” “Does management have a good strategic plan for current and future business?” The outcome: a resounding yes on all counts. 3
February 4 opening of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Child Life Zone Playroom. Attendees included international music star Garth Brooks and NFL Hall of Fame member Troy Aikman as well as Atlanta Thrashers Eric Boulton, Johan Hedberg, Eric Perrin, Marty Reasoner, Jim Slater, Chris Thorburn and Todd White. Designed pro-bono by HKS, Inc., the 3,500-square-foot play area includes a theater, game room, quiet room, arts and crafts area and computer area. The rooms house four Wiis, six flat-screen televisions and a basketball court as well as games, books and magazines. The Zone also offers an adjacent playground that includes a garden, koi pond and putting green. 4
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VIVA AVIVA
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When Aviva management decided to build a new operations center for its North America-based insurance practice, they turned to their employees for input. A firm-wide survey identified that 65 percent of the firm’s staff is Generation X. The 25- to 45-year-old workers said they focus more on independent work patterns, value face-to-face meetings and enjoy health-centric work options. What did that mean when designing the building? The $135 million campus, with private work spaces and abundant meeting and conference spaces, includes amenities such as a gourmet servery with dining spaces, a state-of-the-art fitness center and miles of walking trails, which overlook a waterscape and picturesque valley. 5
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afternoon time) live on TV in London at 4 a.m. the same day, or in Dallas at 10 p.m. the previous day. But if you can’t wait to find out who wins ... fast-forward to see the finish. Then return to the race real sequence, but no longer real time. Suspend the action while you take a shower, go for a walk or eat breakfast ... delete boredom, repeat delight and so on.
Mud Huts and Time Travel
Paul Hyett is a principal of
HKS Architects Limited in London
Modern communication technologies have distorted time, interval and distance.... Think about it: on arrival in France to negotiate an alliance against the English, future U.S. President John Adams discovered that during his six weeks at sea, an agreement had been reached. Now, when I get off a plane, a trail of emails f loods my Blackberry. I ring home to report safe arrival and enjoy a same-time conversation with my wife, Sue. What would Adams have done with such sophisticated gadgetry? In short, today’s technologies have negated the impact of distance on communication. The time involved in transferring a long-distance message has been nullified. Just as intriguing are the consequences of these new technologies upon interval – events need no longer be experienced in chronological order, or with fixed interludes. For example, it is possible to watch the Australian Grand Prix (occurring Australian
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Master of time, you are using technology to reverse chronology (the end before the beginning), to subvert sequence and to suspend continuity. Effectively, you are distorting interval (the true period between two events). The way we arrange our buildings, what they comprise and where we put them are also increasingly inf luenced by technical progress in communications. For example, professional service industries have long mimicked product manufacturers by breaking up and relocating their support teams into cheaper areas – callcenters now frequently operate from India, where skilled, affordable staff and accommodations are readily available. Such mobility of labor and capital combined with the disaggregation of activities has had profound impact in terms of employment, economy and physical planning – in both directions. Some cities in developing countries grow and flourish, offering opportunities to plan and build science and business parks in hitherto unimagined locations, while other first-world cities wither and even die. Consequences for architecture, planning and urban design can also be readily seen in developments in the electronic delivery of education and healthcare. Computer networking surely challenges the need even for a building. Will tomorrow’s secondary schools simply exist as a virtual community with students working from their own homes, each other’s homes, the café, the library or the cafe-library? Or perhaps, will they learn from a series of physically dispersed hubs or centers that they visit on those rare occasions when same place/same time interaction is deemed beneficial?
Does it seem crazy? Well, this has been happening for decades through the UK’s Open University. Since its inception, Open University has increasingly run as an electronic correspondence course – a sort of virtual establishment. In healthcare, we already see surgeons routinely operating through robotics while hundreds – or even thousands – of miles from their patients, courtesy of modern communication technologies which, in this case, distort distance. The impact on architecture is self-evident. Just as a receptionist can be located remotely from the boss, so can the surgeon be located far from the patient in another hospital – or even city. Buildings with virtual corridors between rooms several thousand miles apart are simply a form of architectural evolution. Lean operations and just-in-time delivery have had equally profound impact on building design and city planning. Distribution centers – whether supplying groceries or consumer durables – can give ever greater proportions of their space over to display. Alternatively, the large, expensive city facility can be smaller and therefore cheaper through its reliance on remote storage and computer management of stock replacements. But it is not just the provision within and the spatial arrangement and location of buildings that is affected by the new communication technologies – it is also their content and sophistication in terms of electronic equipment. A modern building can, if you accept the analogy, increasingly be compared to a computer. The enclosure represents the hard drive, and its internal electronics are the software, for example, managing its ecological response in terms of solar responsive shading, and intelligent control of artificial lighting levels and natural ventilation. All this has found an exciting new resonance in sports buildings. Why should spectators go to a match when they can watch from home? The reason, of course, is simple: the “beingness of being there.” Whether at an American Super Bowl game, a Wimbledon Championship or a Grand Prix car race, being there in person still
has its own magic – same time, unfiltered and unfettered raw communal excitement. But, this is not enough. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, recognized that his facility must compete with our growing expectations when managing the home screen in terms of play-back, close-up and viewing angles. We now expect the video board to give us substantially better processed views from our stadium seat than we would otherwise get with the naked eye. And, we need those replays. At the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the center-hung video board measures 160 feet wide by 72 feet tall and 53-foot by 30-foot end boards produce megasized images to enhance spectator experience.
Today’s architects must recognize that buildings really are becoming machines ... or rather, perhaps, merely portals to an electronic cyber world. And that is just for starters. In the future, expect sophisticated armrest computerized videos that spectators can manage as a further supplement to their real-time experience. Dynamic computers that allow them to drill down for ever more detail on the aspect of club or player history that intrigues them ... electronic gadgets that facilitate replays of goals from 15 different angles. Gadgets that give us all the power to distort time, interval and distance as the match proceeds as well as remotely order our beverages or teletext our critique to the 360-degree matrix boards. Today’s architects must recognize that buildings really are becoming machines ... or rather, perhaps, merely portals to an electronic cyber world.
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f rom the
HKS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP HKS’s stadiums and entertainment facilities don’t sport a signature design that shouts the firm’s name. Bryan Trubey, principal for HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, is emphatic about the reason why. “The real HKS difference is that client brands drive our design and, for us, branding is much more than simple identity,” he said. “It embraces history, culture and the visceral experience of the game.” Trubey emphasizes this singular brand focus is important to clients. “Branded places build loyalt y, which translates into increased revenues,” he said.
Branding and Sponsorship Sponsorship has become increasingly important in sports marketing. Trip Boswell, director for HKS Brandspace, said, “Companies and institutions spend millions cultivating their brand, and there is no better place to broadcast that message than to the millions of visitors to a sports facility.”
“The real HKS difference is that client brands drive our design and, for us, branding is much more than simple identity,” he said. “It embraces history, culture and the visceral experience of the game.”
HKS Brandspace is a H i s tor ic a l ly, s p or t s multidisciplinary archivenue branding meant tectural communicalittle more than logos tions group. It serves stuck onto walls. Today, as an internal agency brand identity is embedthat works with sports ded into every aspect of clients and sponsors to HKS’s sports projects. develop sponsorship – Bryan Trubey, HKS Sports & Entertainment Group It starts with the overoppor tunities. Team all design for the master plan, building exterior, members include brand strategists, print and playing surface and seating bowl, and extends to environmental graphic designers, architects and functional spaces such as clubs and concourses. visualization specialists. At the same time, these elements are sculpted to provide fertile ground for sponsorships and to Boswell points out that all products including maximize team co-branding. sports compete for consumer dollars. “It can be more comfortable and less expensive to stay home with your HDTV than to attend the game,” he said. “We work to enhance the in-person experience by providing historical, instructional and communal elements that make fans want to come out and be a part of the game.
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“Sponsors are seeking bigger and more immersive opportunities to speak to consumers,” he noted. One way to accommodate sponsors is to focus on essential elements such as concourses and sculpt them to create discrete, sponsor(able) spaces, such as the string of concourses and corner spaces at Lucas Oil Stadium. Today’s branded sports environments create an interactive museum experience in the stadium. New sponsor spaces take cues from trade show or retail experiences in which there is total engagement of brand. “More and more, sponsors want a dedicated environment with interactive kiosks and eye-catching multimedia,” said Boswell. “They’re striving for a total immersion, using all the senses.” HKS Brandspace is currently helping the Dallas Cowboys achieve an awe-inspiring sponsor
Brand research digs deep to identify the necessary design drivers and elements for a new or renovated facility. Here’s a checklist of factors that affect the overall brand.
At the same time, the firm is careful to maintain a strong design and conceptual focus. Boswell believes that powerful design and commercial goals are not mutually exclusive. “HKS Brandspace has a fundamental belief that commercial opportunities can be integrated in great ways,” he said. In addition to designing sponsorship installations and the buildings they go into, HKS Brandspace also helps venue and team clients market these spaces. They worked with the Indianapolis Colts to help sell the unique opportunity by developing a suite of marketing tools, which used faux sponsors to showcase the vastness of the opportunity.
Team: history, culture, memorable moments and legendary personalities
Fans: traditions, preferences, activities and demographics
Current facilities: meaningful or beloved features to recreate
City, state and region: historical context, architecture, geography, economic drivers and the values and cultures of the population
presence to match that of the stadium. Working with Dr Pepper, Ford and Miller, they are creating what they call a World’s Fair-quality experience for those brands. Boswell emphasizes that HKS Brandspace always builds into the sponsorships something for the fans. “We suggest that sponsors provide an activity, storytelling, history or a pre-game event,” he said. “These elements give something back to the fans, add meaning beyond pure advertising and give fans more reason to choose the live experience.”
Identifying the Brand HKS’s brand focus provides clear indicators for great solutions. “Many times, clients can have difficulty expressing what they want architecturally,” said Mark Williams, associate principal and director of marketing for HKS Sports & Entertainment Group. “Branding – specifically their brand – is something clients can easily talk to us about,” he continued. “As our clients work with us in our branddriven design process, we have noticed how they open up and share information in great detail. Talking about branding enables the clients to really define, quantify and clarify their visions.” Trubey compares the search for brand identity with anthropology. Research provides an intensive overview of the team, owner and stakeholders.
In the case of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, the process included HKS Brandspace’s exhaustive historical review of the team, its present facilities, the city, the state and the fans and what’s important to them. This was accomplished through dialogue, interviews and intensive research.
New retro-inspired seating reinforces the mid-century modern Dodger Stadium brand
With all the varied information in hand, HKS’s sports project team analyzed the information and images, strategically pointing forward to a design for a dynamic space that ref lects the team. A highly visual program presents the results of the research to the clients and lays out directions leading to proposed solutions. For example, brand research indicated that recreating the hole in the roof of the Texas Stadium at the Dallas Cowboys new venue was essential. Likewise, eliminating all bench seating at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium came through loud and clear. For the new Vikings Stadium in Minneapolis, the building form is a response to the calculated and crafted simplicity of the Scandinavian-inspired design that was a significant part of Minnesota’s heritage.
Concourses double as immersive “ brand zones” for sponsors at HKS’s Lucas Oil Stadium
Trubey said, “We call it designing from the brand out. By really concentrating on brand, we create venues that ref lect the energy and excitement of the team and provide breakthrough opportunities for sponsors.”
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layhouse e L a Jolla P th t a d re ys” premie 2 0 0 5 at “Jersey Bo adway in ro B p o n o -w o d o e rd nd op e n the popu la , it was in 2004 a recognize . In 20 0 6 e y tr n w a a o e m n h k e T ’t il Wh didn st Wilson s. Two sons, most the Au g u ony Award e Four Sea T h e T sa th f n o t a d se l n a sou g in g st music dw ide, e ’6 0 s si n named be went worl ou nt of th n k cc o a ic ti c R ll u d fu ts gh the r, the pro l p lay w ri on’s years late s at L ond fa m e u nti to e e s th ri t h rd c rowd s’ o g c u re ro tion b to n t a u B ri c k m s e ll in g o M a rs h a ll e. E li c e a n d ard T heatr rince Edw P . story to life ey the “ Je rs o op e ne d a lli and z V z ie la k a n P ra e e saga of F W he n th 2008, t h ys” is the Gaudio, in M a y b e o r B t “Jersey Bo a i, e ll a h Frankie V Boys” T ectacular Seasons – -r iches new and sp a to d sn g u T he Four ra fo A n i. l productio Nick Mass ommercia eVito and e -coll a r by HKS C lu d b e n Tommy D se g e si e th home – d is ab out g c a p a cro duc tion a s e a ti n k s who c h a it tr e W ta le, the p . th s In te r io r g s id e of tails and th e w ron million eater’s de 5 th 17 e g th b o y s from , in ll 0 se it y of 1,70 can Idols, yesterue A meri eaters of th ll . a c 30 became tr re re e m ateria ls fore they w b -style rldw ide be g a hip clu n ti a re records wo c e day whil crowd w today’s 62 . Both ra d 19 to in d re n e ba atmosph ow s rmed the Gaud io fo est new sh orhood s b h ig e n Va lli and f the hott n o a li e a n It o ss to la work in g-c a u d io e r a nd G ip. c a me from a s a b a rb on the Str w i ll a V k : c y e ru rs st t Je rs up fi in N e w t. T he gro ynting plan ri p a or and pla ped the in worked herr y” top ce, co -auth li “S E n k e ic h R w 62, oys,” a nd ptember 19 “Jersey B gold in Se w rig ht of e presinberg, v ic pop charts. teven Ehre S on s well as l producti f technica music a l, a o it t h n e e d th d in W h at a is featu re ta in me nt, 19 63 (Oh SE E nte r T he son g A r, e B b r m fo ce “D e “Jerse y A d o re d e a Ma n ,” “ My E y e s o te r s o f “ Wa lk L ik ” m y, o r r C p ’t on ig Gir ls D beh indt),” “Bye g ive us a We’ve G o Nig ht),” “B ” t a s, h y o W B o O n (T ork ing se into t’s Ha n g nes glimp ff You,” “W You ,” “L e O ce s -s e ye th E y a ke M show. Doll” and ” “Can’t T ique stage el,” “Rag Bye Baby, n g u n e A th n e ll ,” “Fa ack to You My Way B s You.” “Who Love ur c leanasons as fo e S r u o F T he about the who k now d to learn Audiences se ri rp su s are ito a nd erican boy om my D eV T c ut, all-A m st ri a it s pa st . Gu for variou a nd a lou s ars in jail ba nd’s sc ye l ra ve ent se ties w it h k Massi sp aintained m bassist Nic d n a b e ition, th es. In add pett y cr im . the Mafia
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Who thought of the “Jersey Boys” concept? How did the idea evolve? Elice: A former client, from my ad agency days, called and told me he had the rights to The Four Seasons catalog. He asked me if I would like to write a musical based on the lives of The Four Seasons band members – similar to “Mama Mia!” Then, he rattled off a few songs which I vaguely remembered as The Four Seasons songs. It just so happened that I was hoping to collaborate with my friend and hero, Marshall Brickman, a life-long New Yorker and award-winning screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen (including “Sleeper,” “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan”) and writing Johnny Carson’s monologues for “The Tonight Show.” However, Marshall wasn’t moved after listening to the CD. He had never written a musical, and neither had I. Moreover, we weren’t particularly fans of New Jersey. Marshall and I were self-proclaimed New York snobs. When we thought of New Jersey, it conjured up a “Sopranos” stereotypical group of Mafioso goombahs. Anyway, we agreed to meet Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio for lunch. When we met, I asked the obvious question: “What was it like growing up in New Jersey?” Frankie and Bob told us, in detail, what it was like to be first-generation ItalianAmericans, Roman Catholic and high school dropouts trying to make something of themselves – other than mobsters. In the ’50s and ’60s, the Mafia was a real and present danger in the lives of their families. They told us about how they dealt with the Mafia, worked days and nights, fought amongst themselves and landed in jail. We listened and thought, “Did this rea l ly happ en? Is t h is t r ue? ” Ma rsha l l a nd I were responding just the way an audience would. After that lunch, we knew we had to write the show.
Why has the “Jersey Boys” production been an ongoing success? Elice: The music is a big part of it. When you’re a band that sells 175 million records worldwide, you are bound to have a tremendous number of fans all over the world. These songs are pop classics that connect with people; the songs hook you. The story blends this affection and loyalty to The Four Seasons’ music with the true-life experiences of the band members. There’s a universal theme that the audience connects with on an emotional level. At some point in everyone’s life, we know what it’s like to be part of a group – a bowling team or book club or secretarial pool or think tank or rock band – for acceptance, affection and support. We know that the very same things that pull us together can tear a group apart.
Tell us about BASE Entertainment’s connection in launching these types of shows to audiences. Ehrenberg: “Jersey Boys” had just received a Tony for best musical when BASE Entertainment began working with the Venetian – the owner of the Palazzo – to open
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a new theater. (BASE Entertainment develops, produces a nd ma na ges new shows a nd creates new markets for existing shows for a wide variety of entertainment projects all over the globe.) “Jersey Boys” was a great fit for Las Vegas. It just made sense to host the show in its own setting. Unlike other theaters, the idea was to allow the “Jersey Boys” show to be the star, incorporating theming into the entrances and lobby. HKS Commercial Interiors did a great job capturing the retro feeling of the show and essence of the time period – without direct quotes or making it look like a 1960s theme park. The interior architecture team created a lobby design that successfully transitions from the casino
environment to the theater environment and provides a lasting reminder as show-goers exit.
How does the “Jersey Boys” production differ from other BASE Entertainment shows? Ehrenberg: “Jersey Boys” isn’t necessarily a musical. It is a wonderfully written play with music. It’s not like “Phantom of the Opera,” which is purely a musical, or a Cirque du Soleil production. The level of the story-telling is phenomenal. You actually follow the guys through their life experiences – and it’s so beautifully told. As the story unfolds, you form a connection with all four of them and can’t help liking them.
How do you market “Jersey Boys”? Elice: Typically, theater sales are a women’s market. But, the “Jersey Boys” target audience is guys. When introduced in the ’60s, The Four Seasons were low-key. They weren’t the boy band with long hair that came from across the pond as part of the British Invasion. While The Beatles wrote about love and attracted hordes of women, The Four Seasons wrote songs for guys about girls. Frankie and his group never signed with a major label, didn’t get a lot of respect from the press and weren’t written about like The Beach Boys, The Who or The Rolling Stones. But, the band was grass-roots and people-centric. And the people who bought the records back in the day are now the people who are buying tickets to the show.
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How have audiences worldwide reacted to “Jersey Boys”? Elice: People love the show. They stand up and scream, reacting as if the real Four Seasons are up on the stage. Ehrenberg: It depends on the evening – but the actors receive a standing ovation typically after every show. In many cases, fans dance in the aisles during the show like it’s a concert.
What do you think about your new HKS-designed theater at the Palazzo? How does the theater reflect your identity/brand? Elice: Being from New York, we are used to Broadway shows premiering in a theater that is 100 years old and has had dozens of shows during that time. But, when you go to Vegas the spaces are themed and constructed for the specific show: in our case specifically for “Jersey Boys.” The theater, which is gigantic and impressive, is designed with wit and style. Show-goers walk into a time tunnel depicting what it was like to be 20 years old growing up in America in 1962. You feel like you are walking into a gigantic Cadillac convertible – which is thematically correct for our show since it is the first car Bob Gaudio buys after writing three No. 1 hits in a row. The entry portal is lined with instantly recognizable Cadillac tail fins and the walls are upholstered in supple Florentine grain leather. Additional Four Seasons memorabilia – from old jackets, records, interviews, awards and photos – also adorns the space. Outside the theater is a slab of concrete signed by Frank Sinatra. The story behind it: Bob Gaudio invited Frank to a pool party. When you live in Montclair, N.J., having Frank as an invited guest in your home in the ’60s was on par with the pope stopping by. Because he didn’t have a pool, Bob called the local police chief for some assistance. The chief organized a construction team who worked day and night for four straight d ays to bu i ld a pool and accompanying pool deck. As luck would have it, it poured rain the day Frank’s motorcade came through, leaving the cement uncured and sod sliding down into the pool. After Bob confessed, Frank took a stick and wrote his name in the wet cement.
Does the branded “Jersey Boys” experience in Las Vegas increase attendance? Elice: The branded “Jersey Boys” theater is like a goodbye kiss to the audience as they leave the show. The environment lets them experience the musical one more time on the way out. People are more inclined to tell friends or buy tickets for friends and go see the show with them. We find they want to share the experience. 16
The “Jersey Boys” success is steeped in repeat business. The formula is a marketing dream come true. Ehrenberg: “Jersey Boys” is still drawing much better than other shows on the Strip. Even when productions are selling tickets at a discount, the “Jersey Boys” numbers continue to rise. We feel that is due to the brand and its popularity as well as to our seriously wonderful marketing team.
How has “Jersey Boys” affected your career? Elice: “Jersey Boys” has changed my life and allowed me to earn a living doing what I love. Moreover, knowing Frankie and Bob, who have become dear friends, has made me a better man. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is loyalty. In a scene in “Jersey Boys” in which the actors playing Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio decide to form a partnership, Gaudio asks the singer whether they should sign a contract. “You wanna contract? Here’s a Jersey contract,” Valli says as he puts out his hand for a handshake. That’s it. They based their 47-year partnership on a handshake. And, it’s still their bond. When Bob and Frankie agreed that Marshall and I would write the “Jersey Boys” play, it was finalized with a handshake. Bob and Frankie taught me that if you trust your partner, contracts are not important.
What have been some of your proudest moments with “Jersey Boys”? Elice: The first time someone laughs at something you write is a proud moment. But, the first time you hear a room full of strangers laugh at what you’ve written, it’s wonderful and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Being a New York boy, it was a thrill to have our show play on Broadway. And, of course, the night we won the Tony was a proud moment. The show, just like The Four Seasons group, was the underdog. We knew the audience liked it but we had no idea whether the industry would get behind it. When Julie Andrews announced “Jersey Boys” as the best musical, I remember flying out of my seat. I was thinking, “I can’t believe we won.” I still get goose bumps thinking about it.
What have been some of your strangest moments with “Jersey Boys”? Elice: Our single strangest moment was the day Marshall and I were summoned by a Mafia guy to go to a pay phone in a supermarket parking lot in La Jolla. We had the phone between our two ears and listened as he instructed us to fax the pages
in which the Mafia fixer, Gyp DiCarlo appeared. This wasn’t a joke. He told us, “Remember, I know where you both live.” Needless to say, we faxed the pages to him. He was OK with it and the show went on. About one year later during the premiere of the “Jersey Boys,” I noticed a motorcade – which I would liken to a presidential procession – arriving one Saturday afternoon. The doors opened and these big men wearing double-breasted suits and women with big bouffant hair stepped out and walked into the theater. There is a scene during the play where a mob guy fires a gun. This Saturday, the gun didn’t fire. At intermission, one of the guys said, “You should have told me you needed a piece,” as he opened his jacket and showed me his gun. And, I thought, “This is real. This isn’t just on television.”
What’s next for “Jersey Boys”? Having toured throughout the United States as well as London, the troupe opened in Toronto in December 2008. Next, the playwright team is heading to Australia to find a doo-wop cast in the land down under. And, who knows – a movie might be in the cards for The Four Seasons. Whatever the medium, “Jersey Boys” tells a timeless tale about four average guys with phenomenal talent who work hard and make it big: a theme that speaks to audiences of all ages, creeds and cultures.
Montage
BE V ER LY HIL L S DEBU TS
B
everly Hills. The celebrated enclave conjures images of elegance, aff luence, palml i ne d s t re e t s a nd golde n hillsides dotted with movie star mansions. Equally legendary are the city’s early hotels: The Beverly Hills Hotel (1912) and the Beverly Wilshire (1928), a frequent filming location and residence to the celebrity set. Fast forward 80 years to November 17, 2008 and the debut of the five-star Montage Beverly Hills. Designed by HKS Hill Glazier Studio’s lead architects John C. Hill, Jr., AIA, and Robert C. Glazier, AIA, the 201-key luxury hotel pays homage to the city’s historic residences and the Golden Age of Hollywood. This premier $350 million hotel and residential/mixed-use project, one block from Rodeo Drive, has the potential to match the accolades of Montage’s f lagship property, Montage Laguna Beach – also designed by HKS Hill Glazier Studio.
URBAN OASIS Located between Canon and Beverly drives in the city’s Golden Triangle district, Montage’s design is inspired by the Spanish Colonial Revival roots and Mediterranean architecture prevalent throughout the city. The inf luences are evident by the use of arches, courtyards, plaster wall surfaces and terracotta tile roofs with authentic detailing.
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“Our Approach, much like a great film classic, is to create lasting memories for guests to take home, share with others and reminisce.� - Ali K asikci
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“The design is intended to evoke a timeless elegance, capturing the sophisticated residential character of southern California’s glamorous estates of the 1920s and ’30s,” said Hill. “The architecture suggests the mood of a refined time and place – a creative, sumptuous period which defined Beverly Hills,” he continued. “Our design is a modern yet timeless re-interpretation,” said Glazier. “It is fresh, comfortable and ref lects the character of its surroundings.” The hotel’s interior, designed by Darrell Schmitt Design Associates of Los Angeles, features pristine white public spaces with pale golden stone f loors, accented in some rooms with black walnut f looring and carpets custom-designed for their specific locations. Hand-painted ceilings add depth, and classically elegant furnishings conjure Spanish, Italian and Moroccan aesthetics in sun-drenched colors of gold, salmon, coral and cream. “We sought to honor the legacy of craftsmanship that was so readily available to Angeleno architects and designers during that 20th century Golden Age when an ‘anything you can imagine’ ethic was possible,” says Schmitt. “Intensely glamorous spaces were conjured as backgrounds to equally glamorous people. We attempted not to reproduce such spaces, but to adapt them to a 21st century aesthetic.”
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ARTFUL LIVING The hotel features an expansive art collection, highlighted by A mer ican and Europeaninf luenced paint ings and objec ts d’ar te juxtaposed with set drawings and original costume designs from great f ilm classics. Sculpture, architectural studies, sketches and vintage photographs showcase iconic works of noted architects and interior designers of the era. Julie Cline Fine Art Services of Santa Barbara served as Montage’s art advisor and curator. “The art tells the story of the history of the Beverly Hills’ creative industry,” explained Cline. “Beverly Hills in the ’30s became a Mecca for the entire creative arts community – not just actors and filmmakers, but writers, artists, architects and composers. Every piece in the collection is part of the grand story, each work reflects a different aspect of this gloriously rich time.” The beauty continues outdoors to the lush public gardens, designed by landscape architect Nancy Goslee Power and Associates of Santa Monica. Inspired by the simplicity of European gardens, this relaxing space features three fountains, benches, covered pedestrian galleries and a lawn with stone detailing.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
INFINITE AMENITIES
Montage Beverly Hills is a prime example of a city, developer and architect working together to revitalize a part of a city,” said Kim Richards, president and CEO of The Athens Group, developer of Montage Beverly Hills.
From in-kitchen gourmet dining to the only in-hotel barber shop in the U.S., the Montage is steeped in extras.
According to Richards, The Athens Group and HKS Hill Glazier Studio worked with the mayor, city council and neighborhood groups throughout the design, development and construction process, and even set up a project hotline for citizens.
The two-story, 20,000-square-foot Spa Montage offers comprehensive programs and à la carte hydrotherapy and holistic wellness services, fitness facilities, yoga studio as well as 17 wet and dry treatment rooms. The coed relaxation area includes fireplaces and mineral pools.
Constructed on a 2.5-acre abandoned retail site, this ambitious adaptive reuse project includes a 33,000-square-foot garden, which is the first public green space in the Golden Triangle; a 20,000-square-foot, city-owned mixed-use retail/commercial; and a four-level, 1,100-car parking structure directly beneath the project’s footprint.
Cuisine choices abound, including the Parq restaurant and Parq Bar, the intimate Muse restaurant and the Chef’s Table, which offers a unique personalized dining experience for up to 12 guests. Situated alongside the roof top pool and private cabanas, The Conservatory Grill is Montage’s
casual bar and grill, boasting dramatic views of downtown Los Angeles. Montage’s 20 penthouse residences are accessed via a separate residential lobby. Each unit has 10-foot ceilings, high-end finishes, custom millwork and private balconies. Residents enjoy access to all of the hotel’s amenities and services. The hotel includes more than 9,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space; private affairs can be hosted in any of Montage’s unique venues.
RIDING OUT THE RECESSION ON SERVICE, AMENITIES Respected hospitality leader Ali Kasikci, the
property’s managing director, believes the fresh approach of the Montage brand, coupled with the property’s unmatched amenities and impeccable service, will see this fledgling hotel through the weakened economy and beyond. Kasikci is well-known in hotel circles for service innovations that have become hospitality industry standards. “Outstanding service never goes out of style,” he said. “It is as enduring as the property itself.” Kasikci says Montage is focusing on developing lifelong emotional attachments with its guests. “Our approach, much like a great film classic, is to create lasting memories for guests to take home, share with others and reminisce. We want them to dream about their next stay with us.”
W HER E
C L I N IC I A NS & A RC H I T E C T S MEET HK S CLINIC A L SOLU T IONS & R E SE A RCH
As a top healthcare architectural firm, HKS knows excellent design and optimal functionality are not mutually exclusive. The firm’s Clinical Solutions & Research group bridges the gaps between form, function and healthcare operations – working in tandem with healthcare design specialists – to incorporate day-to-day hospital workflow and operations into the design process. The core group of full-time clinicians offers specialties in nursing, major diagnostic and treatment services, medical technology, information systems, quality improvement, patient safety, infection control and research. This experienced team shares a broad spectrum of knowledge including master planning, programming, planning and operational experience and ergonomics as well as process design and workflow. In addition to working on HKS projects, the Clinical Solutions & Research group conducts research projects throughout the country – many of which have been the topic of presentations and industry articles. The result is functional, aesthetic, flexible buildings that stand the test of time.
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Thomas E. Harvey, Jr., AIA, MPH, FACHA Principal/Director HKS Clinical Solutions & Research In the mid-’70s, healthcare architecture was in its infancy when Tom Harvey graduated with a dual master’s degree in architecture and public health from Rice University. At the time, many new healthcare regulations were taking place throughout the United States. From Certificate of Need (CON) programs to infection control rules, times were changing for the nation’s steadfast healthcare systems. Harvey’s degree allowed him the ability to serve as a healthcare consultant, his first job after college. He focused not only on the aesthetics of the facility’s design but also the intricacies of the hospital’s operation and the impact of design on each function. His unique abilities also made him a valued recruit for Ron Skaggs and Ralph Hawkins, who were expanding HKS’s healthcare specialty practice. These same functional planning and design attributes made him the clear choice to lead HKS Clinical Solutions & Research. Is the building layout helping operations or creating barriers? Can lean design practices help boost the bottom line? These are questions that are being answered by the group. Harvey’s top three goals include: incorporating functional process improvement into hospital architecture; offering design improvements through research; and informing and educating design teams, allowing them to work more effectively and efficiently with clients. His group is researching not just healing and patient-focused trends, but also the bottom-lineoriented caregivers – focusing on minimizing errors, improving workf low and reducing walking distances. Harvey envisions developing original research that will have a wide inf luence throughout the healthcare industry. His ideal healthcare facility is highly productive, efficient and streamlined, delivering healthcare in an aesthetic, poetic environment that contributes to healing.
Terry Ritchey, RN, MBA Vice President/Manager and Clinical Advisor HKS Clinical Solutions & Research Terry Ritchey has been bringing innovation to the healthcare field throughout her career. She uses the tenets of her nursing credo, which include listening, accessing, planning and evaluating, in all that she does. A registered nurse, Ritchey spent the first seven years of her career in a traditional nursing role. Recognizing her leadership and critical decision-making talents, she was asked to serve in a quality assurance role developing a first-time infection control program. Her next opportunity came via her employment with Sisters of Charity Healthcare Systems, where she served as a quality director working in a five-state region. Focusing on regulatory and accreditation preparedness, Ritchey co-developed and implemented a groundbreaking healthcare system quality scorecard program. Next, she developed and led an innovative, system-specific customer initiative for Colorado’s Centura Health. From the corporate office, she moved to the C-suite, where she was named chief nursing officer and subsequently served as chief nursing officer for the new community hospital. In 2006, after much soul-searching, Ritchey decided to use her vast knowledge to transition into a new, meaningful and challenging career. Having worked with HKS to open the $52 million Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, Colo., the field of architecture seemed a logical choice. Hired as a member of HKS Clinical Solutions & Research, Ritchey set a goal to develop a pre-design platform that allowed owners to explore design choices, based on specific operational needs – before the programming process began. Today, that platform is called Process-Driven Planning. Ritchey’s career has come full circle, but her philosophy remains the same. Just like Stephen Covey, she believes in seeking first to understand, and then to be understood.
Debajyoti Pati, PhD, FIIA Director of Research HKS Clinical Solutions & Research Dr. Debajyoti Pati believes that scientific inquiries lead to creative design solutions. A graduate of Sir J.J. College of Architecture, University of Bombay, Pati’s exposure to studies in environmental psychology during his internship days generated a keen interest in research. He went on to pursue a Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture degree at the University of British Columbia, which boosted his commitment to research-informed design. Following, he returned home to India to open an architectural practice. Although the firm was well recognized and respected, due to his knowledge-based designs, Pati wanted to further his studies in research-informed design. In 1999, he traveled to the Georgia Institute of Technology to earn a PhD in Architecture, focusing on Environmental Psychology and Building Technology.
While in the United States, Pati contributed to several projects including the award-winning, HKS-designed Emory University Neuro ICU, where he met Craig Beale and Ron Gover. Both men recognized Pati’s talent and offered him a position as the firm’s director of research, just days before he was scheduled to move back to India. Knowing the position offered an opportunity to bridge practice and research, he unpacked his bags and today, he and his family call Dallas home. In just three years, Pati has made a difference in healthcare design by conducting a number of significant research studies. Among other projects, he is reviewing the impact of light on stress and alertness; evaluating room-handedness for efficiency and safety; and comparing headwalls and ceiling booms on teamwork safety. These studies have resulted in numerous articles in peer-reviewed publications and invitations to make international conference presentations. For Pati, these are just the first steps in translational research in architecture. He envisions the day when information from scientific studies will create a strong, world-wide foundation to produce healing architecture.
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O n th e b oa r ds :
Solis Hotel & Residences Lusail Master Development Doha, Qatar
Building Type: Mixed Use (Retail, Hospitality and Residential) Program: Hotel – 210 keys, plus ballroom and meeting rooms; Residential – 114 units; Retail – 30,000 sf
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The Building’s formal program application gave rise to four unique, poetic statements for which each building design was expressed:
The Dunes: This is a singular-building concept that draws on the wind, waves and desert for its building form. The movement of sand blowing across the dune is expressed in Prologue: The concept originated the curvilinear form of the overall building, reaching from the land toward the sea. The program is stacked, with the from a site occupation strategy hotel occupying the lower f loors and the residences on the upper levels. The juncture between program elements is that sought to either combine funccelebrated through an opening in the building, where restaurants and an outdoor pool would be located. tions into a single structure for both residences and the hotel or separate the functions into unique forms. The three initial occupancy approaches were to have:
1: Two buildings with a grand,
The Stitching: This singular-building concept derives its form from the customary dress of the local Muslim women. The elegance of the stitchery of the burkas suggests a level of complexity below an austere outer shell. This is further emphasized in the juxtaposition of designer clothes revealed in the gaps and folds as the women move and walk. The idea is transformed into architecture by separating the hotel and residences – when pulled apart, the elegant stitching is revealed. The overall massing is separated vertically as well as offset horizontally, heightening the tension between the two main building forms. The in-between space is dramatically expressed through the resultant diagonal columns and special spaces (recalling jewels) peeking out from under the sober forms of the building’s envelope.
ground-floor lobby, or
2: Two buildings with a sky lobby, or
The Dance: This is a dual-tower concept in which the interplay of the building forms suggests movement of the towers themselves and a kinetic connection between them. The bridge, or connector, between two unequal masses holds them both in stasis, as if keeping the other from falling. This action creates an unmistakably fluid composition, suggesting an elegance of movement among the buildings. One inherited a more masculine countenance, with deep recesses and a thick, articulated masonry screen protecting a more delicate inner core. The other was delineated in a more feminine manner, with movement and curves adorned in delicate, light translucent glass with intricate detailing. A spectacular sky lobby and gourmet restaurants occupy the connector.
3: A single building with a grand, ground-floor lobby
The Oasis: This dual-tower concept seeks to capture the essence of the protection and solace offered by an oasis. A shell is erected around the perimeter of the buildable boundaries to form a protective barrier. The shell is framed by a grid of overlapping glass panels of various colors and metal screens of different patterns, providing a defense against the harsh elements. In turn, the shielding allows a world of green to erupt in and among the two buildings. The gridded perimeter also provides for the placement of meeting rooms and restaurants at various heights and locations between the two towers.
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Th e D u n e s Th e Oa s i s
Th e S t i tc h i n g
Epilogue: The client narrowed the conceptual design to two building expressions – The Stitching and The Dance. Due to cultural obstacles prohibiting the referral of men and women dancing together, as well as a male-female designation to any building form, The Dance was renamed The Dialogue. The Stitching scheme’s evolution continued with the refinement of the exterior screen surrounding the upper levels of the residential component. The balconies occupied the interstitial space between the screen and the exterior wall surface. A simple, rhythmic, over-scaled grid formed the primary reading of the main façades, creating a more proportionate fenestration articulation from a distance. The Dialogue scheme accentuates desert culture’s use of varied and frequent shading devices. Formally, this scheme was organized so the residential tower was rotated outwardly, to take advantage of views of the sea and downtown Doha. Poetically, its development includes a complex series of screens and panels over a simple rectangular box, much like tent flaps protect desertdwelling inhabitants. They are configured in sharp angles, accentuating an almost crystalline-like quality. Light and the reflection/refraction from the glass panel screens form an initial perception of the residential tower. The hotel component was designed as a delicate glass-like core surrounded by a visually heavier mass of slotted openings. The glass core was further de-materialized by a metal screen indicative of lace patterns found in the region.
PostScript: Ultimately, The Dialogue scheme emerged the victor among the conceptual designs presented. Its sophisticated incorporation of shading/screening elements, and the dynamic interplay among the forms, became the distinguishing features in the creation of an iconic building on the Doha skyline.
Th e Da n c e
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