Ogilvy & Mather

The offices are located in a former light industrial area that was redeveloped as a technology and arts district by Samitaur Constructs. The existing building was designed by Eric Owen Moss. The program for the new office space is intended to communicate a commitment to cutting-edge work and feature the latest communication technology, including a complete internal post-production facility. The design team was asked to build an open-plan work space to house a staff of more than 110 people.

Ogilvy is a brand-name advertising agency and a leader worldwide. The company’s executives were looking to reinvent themselves with leading-edge design of new offices in Los Angeles.

The large open-plan of this decidedly industrial space has been used as an advantage in the design program. Structural wood beams and large, plate-glass windows around the perimeter walls lend character and provide natural light throughout the office. Behind a front-facing, angled plate-glass wall, a perforated-metal tunnel known as “The Tube” dominates the entrance to the offices and is intended to serve as a gallery entry path to the rest of the building.

The Tube is a steel-framed structure skinned with perforated aluminum sheets that feature multiple LCD display screens with changing programs of client and office work. Additionally, 16-foot-high Plexiglass screens exhibit imagery about the advertising firm and its clients while creatively dividing the space.

Shubin + Donaldson have provided for state-of-the-art technology throughout the facility. Each custom-designed workstation uses the same materials seen throughout the space -perforated metal and steel, etc. — for a strong integration between the building and its function. A large existing stage pit, originally intended for theatrical productions, has been transformed into an impressive conference room and gathering site. War rooms are adjacent, and provide privacy for working teams.