A View From the Top 31
La P earla
Advertising Executives
Chaz
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Megan
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Omar
Call (915) 225-0265 and
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The City Magazine is proud to introduce our account ad executives. This team has over 20 combined years in experienced marketing and advertising. Skilled in implementing a wide array of print and digital advertising techniques, TCM Ad Executives are able to supplement brand awareness, increase consumer engagement and achieve ultimate client satisfaction. Their commitment to this community is rooted in their desire to facilitate growth as they work to promote El Paso’s most reputable and engaged businesses.
Showcasing a variety of quality living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, home entertainment, mattresses, outdoor furniture,home offices and home decors, bathroom accessories, and more.
Visit our showroom today!
(915) 307-6428
3402 Durazno Ave. | El Paso, TX 79905
Summer, 2022
THE CITY SPACES HOME & DESIGN
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2 The Plaza’s Crown Jewel By: ERIN COULEHAN
9 2100 Square Feet of Color By: ERIN COULEHAN
14 El Paso’s Most Innovative Campus By: ERIN COULEHAN
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P laza’s Crown Jewel Celebrating Summer at the
O
| By: ERIN COULEHAN photography by: JAMES BAIGRIE |
ld Hollywood glamour is elevating the
downtown experience atop the crown
jewel of The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. La
Perla, the rooftop bar and restaurant on the 17th floor, is an architectural homage to Elizabeth who lived in the penthouse suite that La Perla now occupies while she was married to Nicky Hilton.
The space takes its namesake from “La Peregrina,” the famed pearl has passed through history from the Spanish monarchy to the brother of Napolean Bonaparte, and later worn on the neck of Elizabeth Taylor in the twentieth century. Guests of La Perla are greeted by a ceramic leopard upon exiting the elevator, which introduces an immediate sense of feminine sensuality that is distinct from the hotel’s more masculine characteristics. The bar is situated in the middle of the space, separating indoor, rooftop, and terrace seating areas that boast some of the most stunning views of the binational landscape -- especially at sunset.
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In addition to the views, guests are able to enjoy cocktails and mocktails, an array of ceviche and other seafood, as well as other nibbles. One of the highlights of the cocktails offered on the menu are the delicate glassware the libations are served in, an ornate and curvaceous crystal that is lambent in the glow of the sunlight on the rooftop. This summer, La Perla is inviting the community and their furbabies to enjoy the rooftop at Sunday Pawtio Social. Attendees can pay $15 per dog for entry, which includes a mimosa for the pet parent and two freshly made whole food dog treats prepared by Pastry Chef Jakki. Dogs must be leashed, and pet owners are encouraged to bring items for donations that will go to the El Paso Humane Society. La Perla is open by reservation only and can be made online and is open Thursday through Sunday from 4 PM to 12 AM, and guests must be 21 or older.
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2100 Summer, 2022
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Square Feet of Color By: ERIN COULEHAN
Photography by: ROBERT ORDONEZ
Reator: LISA ELJBORN
Interior Architecture and Design:
KATHERINE CORTESE, HOSPITALITY DESIGN GUILD, DALLAS, TX
T
ELLEN O’BRIEN, CHARLOTTE’S / BASSETT FURNISHINGS, EL PASO, TX
he comforts of home with the chicness of a luxury hotel can be found in a newly-renovated home located
on the east side of El Paso. The house recently underwent a renovation 20 years in the making to modernize elements for new owners. “We raised the ceilings, added more windows for ample natural light, moved the kitchen location, installed a brand new kitchen, added an additional bathroom, and even filled in the pool and built an enclosed back porch,” says the owner, who’d prefer to remain anonymous for privacy purposes. According to the owner, the exterior looks very similar to the original “but once you step inside, it’s truly a jaw-dropping transformation to the space.” The open floor plan and renovation were built to the homeowner’s specifications and designed to truly make the home a private oasis
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reminiscent of a luxury hotel suite. The dream was achieved by
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layering textures and color palettes to complement the home owner’s extensive collection of collectibles and enable the memories to shine in the new space. Employing different textures is one of 2022’s most sought-after interior design trends. “Textures are going to be utilized far outside of furniture and rugs this year,” interior designer Joshua Smith tells Good Housekeeping.
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With so much change around the world over the past few years, it’s no surprise
that more and more people are craving a sense of comfort, timelessness, or even a bit of nostalgia for their homes.
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“Curtains can be used to filter light beautifully and even add a softness to the room. Even lighting can provide texture to rooms, depending on the material used.” The design team and homeowner worked in synchronicity to transform the blank interior
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canvas of the home into a one-of-a-kind space showcasing thoughtfully curated and eclectic pieces without creating a sense of clutter and maintaining a personalized touch.
What are you missing out on?
Comfortable and timeless. Each room of the home, including the patio, is easily accessible and the master bathroom was redesigned to create a spalike experience. Now, the modernized home serves as a liveable memorial to the homeowner’s extensive travels that stir fond memories of exotic locations, people met in transit, and the friendships and experiences cultivated over the years. Bold patterns and colors are punctuated throughout the home, achieving the sense of bringing the great outdoors inside while still maintaining aesthetic balance through the integration of traditional elements. The return to tradition includes using materials such as marble, hardwood, linens, mohair, and more to create an organic aesthetic that
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is as pleasant to the eye as it is to the touch. “In 2022, we are seeing traditional details making a big comeback,” says interior designer Bria Hammel. “With so much change around the world over the past few years, it’s no surprise that more and more people are craving a sense of comfort, timelessness, or even a bit of nostalgia for their homes.”
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Too Cool Summer, 2022
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for a School
Inside El Paso’s Most Innovative Campus | By: ERIN COULEHAN photography by: ART MORENO |
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Too Cool for a School
S
tudents at the El Paso Leadership Academy’s new east side campus are learning what it’s like to be educated in a space that’s as beautiful as it is pragmatic. EPLA’s new campus is designed with students in mind, the goal being to inspire scholarly and personal achievement.
“At EPLA, we are building a different kind of student. A student who is not only successful in the classroom but also strives to contribute to the community that builds them,” says Omar Yanar, Founder / CEO / Superintendent of EPLA. EPLA is a tuition-free charter middle and high school whose flagship location is located at 1918 Texas Ave. and serves students in grades six, seven, and eight, while the east campus at 2101 Joe Battle serves grades six and seven, as well as nine and ten. Yanar founded EPLA in 2014 with Andrew Benitez. The two met while studying at Harvard Univesity, where they learned both were from El Paso and bonded over the shared experiences within the public education system in the Borderland. Both Yanar and Benitez felt that many local students were entering university settings unprepared and wanted to change that.
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Since then, EPLA’s mission has been “to educate and empower students with tools essential to achieve their self-actualization, academic potential, and success,” with a vision to “create a nurturing environment as an elite and collaborative organization that shapes independent thinkers and people ready to make their own rules.” Data collected by the Texas Tribune reports that EPLA is serving a deeply-underserved population and having a positive influence on students’ educational achievement. The data reports that almost 65 percent of students are at-risk of dropping out and 89 percent are economically disadvantaged. Despite the challenges, EPLA students are learning and successfully completing the school’s rigorous college-preparatory curriculum that also develops leadership skills, critical thinking, and more. The innovative education to traditionally underserved students is cultivating a cohort of young scholars by ensuring: • Small class size • A personalized approach to learning • Opportunities for community engagement The new east side campus embraces architectural tenets to create structures that are as beautiful as they are strong and as strong and beautiful as they are useful. Designed by Root Architects, the campus is unlike any other in the country -- and it’s pretty exciting. “While we have seen vast innovation in both business practices and their respective spaces, the school space has seen very little evolution since the mid-20th century,” explains Yanar. “If business leaders are asking for students with 21st century skills, mostly comprising of www.thecitymagazineelp.com
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so-called ‘soft skills’ (e.g. collaboration, responsibility, smarts, critical thinking, creative problem-solving), humility, and hunger) then how is that possible unless both the curricular approach and its corresponding architectural space undergo radical changes?” The campus features a modern open-air design with ample natural light that invites students to enjoy the process of learning in a real-life setting that feels more like a contemporary coworking space than traditional florescent-lighted campuses. Additionally, the campus includes a welcoming lounge area, conference room, and bright red indoor slide for when folks prefer to take a fun route from the upper level to the lower level. “EPLA’s new Eastside 6th-12th campus is a direct response to our already highly innovative curricular approach. Having ‘cracked the formula’ or having devised a ‘special sauce,’ if you will, EPLA has figured out how to teach students 21st century skill sets within the paradigms of free public education. However, as many of us in the Silicon Valley discovered in the late 1990s, the space must create the psychological precepts of the aforementioned skill sets,” explains Yanar. Students who matriculate at EPLA’s east campus are able to participate in programs and organizations that further develop professional skills with an array of partners. 20
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For example, a partnership with the Microsoft TEALS Program was implemented this past school year as an opportunity for ninth graders to build a foundation in computer science designed by Microsoft engineers to cultivate skills in the computer science program. The
partnerships
complement
the
architecture, always with the goal in mind to teach students how to be successful and compassionate adults. “The vastness of the space, the freedom and autonomy that students and adults feel, the myriad coworking and collaborative spaces, the fact that you can choose a space and a room fitting your mood that day that mirrors what Google figured out decades ago when it comes to working space,” says Yanar. And it’s working. Yanar says that parents approach him frequently to ask “How have you done this?!”
when
it
comes
to
bolstering
student enthusiasm, participation, and even attendance at school. “They tell me the same story: ‘My child hated school (yes, they said ‘hated’).’ They wouldn’t want to get up in the morning. They never wanted to go so I had to force them to go. Now, they are the ones forcing me to wake them up early because they don’t want to be late to EPLA, they don’t want to miss a thing,” Yanar says proudly. Not only are the parents pleasantly surprised by EPLA’s campus and culture of care, but also students, who feel comfortable sharing their thoughts while continuing to cultivate their identities. “Now imagine a student simply saying, ‘What I love about EPLA is that I get to be myself’,” says Yanar. “What parent wouldn’t want their child to say that?”
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