Costume National
West Hollywood, Calif.
Marmol Radziner + Associates

A Play of Light Defines Angled Planes and Glistening Surfaces.

By David Hay

© Benny Chan

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

Milan-based fashion designer Ennio Capasa wanted to make a statement when he opened a branch of his Costume National line in Los Angeles. The 3,000-square-foot store presents a minimalist environment as a foil for upscale fashions. Ron Radziner of Marmol Radziner + Associates was principal architect.

Working within the footprint of a former restaurant space, the design team first increased the amount of available light coming into the store. Six windows lining two perimeter walls of the building were enlarged to almost floor-to-ceiling dimensions, and the existing skylights were refurbished. To help capture the incoming daylight, existing details such as the sloping roof and a curved corner entrance were retained. The light and airy ambience is reinforced with a pearl-gray waxed concrete floor.

The slanting ceiling, which measures 17.5 feet high at the east side of the store, inspired the use of three canted divider walls that form alcoves where clothing is displayed. The dividers create a staggered sightline from front to back along one side of the store, with the remaining interior space on the opposite window walls left open.

To supplement the play of sunlight in the space, the architects highlighted display areas in the darker, shadowed alcoves with fluorescent and LED illumination. Taking a cue from display fixture detailing in other Costume National stores, the architects arranged large boxes along the walls to serve as backdrops for clothing hung from stainless-steel rods. Backlighting behind the boxes makes them appear to float off the wall, an effect that extends to the clothes. When a customer picks out a leather jacket, for example, it is as if he or she is plucking it out of thin air. Set between the windows, floor-to-ceiling runs of Lucite shelves displaying accessories are lit by a custom LED system.

See the January 2001 issue of Architectural Record for addition coverage.

Formal name of building:
Costume National Clothing Boutique

Location:
West Hollywood, Calif.

Gross square footage:
3,000 sq ft

Owner:
Costume National

Architect's firm:
Marmol Radziner + Associates, AIA
Architecture + Construction
2902 Nebraska Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.marmol-radziner.com