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Luxury Rooftop Deck Gives LA Condo a Competitive Edge
By Erika Schnitzer
Associate Editor
Posted 7/1/2007
With a resort-style pool, spa, fitness center, fire pit and Zen lawn, the rooftop of The Mercury, known simply as "23," is "an oasis in an urban village," says Renata Simril, senior vice president of development at Forest City Residential West. Located in Los Angeles' Koreatown, The Mercury is a 238-unit mixed-use, transit-oriented development with a large number of entrepreneurial residents looking for an urban setting in a high-rise building.
In addition to its facilities, the deck offers expansive views of downtown Los Angeles. "It's a hidden jewel in Koreatown. When prospective residents go to the deck and see the unobstructed views of downtown, it really moves them to want to live in this environment," Simril says.
The neutral color palette of white and off-white, as well as the tartan grid of concrete finishes used for the deck, echoes the rest of the building's design. "We wanted to pull the same language of the building's exterior onto the pool deck," explains Daniel Gehman, a principal for Thomas P. Cox: Architects (TCA). The lawn and the pool serve as the deck's two "color pops."
An adaptive reuse project, The Mercury's rooftop takes some of its design cues from the building's previous function, which was corporate headquarters, and the overall theme is a twist on mid-century modern. The exposed structural steel beams were modifications of what already existed, and steel was added to the top of the arbor to make it a focal point, Gehman explains. Additionally, travertine tile, found in the basement where it had been left by a previous developer, was used to cover the interior and exterior wall of the west side of the fitness center. "It's a very unexpected piece," observes Gehman.
In addition to the design flow of the roof into the building, much of the rooftop's design is a matter of practicality. The pool and spa were assembled as prefabricated stainless steel units and flown to the rooftop by helicopter, making their conventional rectangular shape a convenience. The white wall behind the spa is both a mechanical space and a screen for outdoor movies, and the landscaping consists of moveable potted plants, allowing for more flexibility in creating new spaces for parties.
"Pools, spas and views are a rarity in Koreatown," says Simril. "When you put the whole package together, we think that gives us a competitive advantage and gives the property more value."
THE MERCURY
Location: Los Angeles
Number of units: 238
Pricing: Mid $300,000s to $1 million
Sold: 40 percent
PROJECT TEAM
Developer: Forest City Residential West
Architect: TCA (Thomas P. Cox: Architects)
Contractor: Taisei Corp.
Swimming Pool/Water Features Designer: STO Design Group
Financial Partner: MacFarlane Partners
Interior Designer: STM
Sales/Management Company: Ryness Company
Landscape Architect: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
MATERIALS
Tile: Dal-Tile
Glass: Old Castle Glass
Lighting: Kaplan Gehring McCarroll Architectural Lighting
Hardware: C.R. Laurence
Pool Furniture: Janus et Cie, Modern Outdoor
Paint: Dunn-Edwards
Appliances: GE
Countertops: Impax
Bathroom Fixtures: Lasco, Moen
Kitchen Fixtures: Delta
Washer/Dryer: Whirlpool
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