The French Market
Location: West Hollywood, California Size: 55,000 SF Office, 17,000 SF Retail Status: Construction Permit Pending Program: Creative Office, Retail & Restaurant Client: Faring
chevron_leftLayering History
The French Market celebrates West Hollywood’s history while creating space for future growth. The adaptive reuse project preserves significant community buildings and neighborhood character. At the same time, it responds to the scale of development within this transitional area.
The project sits along the eastern Santa Monica Boulevard corridor. Here, it embraces the neighborhood’s compact urban form. As a result, the design connects new development with the site’s architectural and cultural history.
Civil Rights Meets Adaptive Reuse
From Market to Community Landmark
The market has served many purposes over time. First, it opened as Fitzsimmons Market in 1947. Later, it became a 1970s swap meet called The Louisiana Purchase. Today, the design places the original market building at the center of the development.
The French Market builds on the area’s mix of land uses and walkable streets. Therefore, it brings nearby commercial and residential areas together. The project also adds 17,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and bar space along Santa Monica Boulevard. In addition, these new amenities serve the surrounding West Hollywood community.
The design draws inspiration from bronzing as a method of preservation. For example, layered surfaces reinterpret the existing building and highlight meaningful community stories. Moreover, large-scale murals celebrate local and national LGBTQ icons. In this way, the artwork brings West Hollywood’s cultural history into the architecture.
Reclaiming the Street
A New Pedestrian Paseo
The French Market replaces an open parking lot with pedestrian-focused spaces. For instance, a new paseo connects restaurants and coffee shops to the office lobby and rear porte-cochère. In turn, this walkway expands the ground-level experience and encourages movement through the site.
Meanwhile, 55,000 square feet of creative offices rise above the preserved market. Landscaped terraces offer views of the Hollywood Hills and the Los Angeles Basin. Additionally, generous setbacks increase daylight and preserve views for surrounding neighbors.
The design divides the new addition into smaller volumes. Consequently, the development respects the scale and character of the neighborhood. The stacked volumes also create communal outdoor spaces for office users.
Ultimately, The French Market returns the street frontage to pedestrians. It supports local creatives and adds new neighborhood amenities. By connecting past and present, the project creates an active community hub. At the same time, it brings the site’s history to life.
