8601 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

MODAA by SPF:architects

A Sublime Asset. An Extraordinary Opportunity.

Museum of Design Art + Architecture aka MODAA

"MODAA was originally developed by SPF:a in 2007, designed to capture the flavor of the city’s 1920s art deco origin without conforming to the historic style. The façade, which has been designated by Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Commission as “Architecture as Art,” explores the variation, movement, velocity, and tempo of the city on all scales.

As the building is sited exactly on the transition line between The Helms Bakery District and Culver City’s less developed eastern corridor, MODAA stands as a visual representation of the old and new of Culver City, and provides a gateway to its burgeoning arts and design scene.

Materially, the façade features an arrangement of black and white Nordic Cement Panels that protrude at various depths. On the surface, the treatment creates a dynamic visual exchange with the street, but functionally serves as a rain screen, adds insulation, and acts as an acoustic diffuser to Culver City’s main artery.

MODAA’s ground floor currently houses SPF:a’s studio, a global modeling agency, and an art gallery. The second-floor houses, currently, seven live/work, 2-story lofts featuring 16-foot ceilings, individual mezzanines, and glass sliding doors on the southern wall; these units are currently used as a co-working space/incubator."

-world-architects.com

SPF:a is only the second design firm to receive an "Architecture as Art" designation since 1995. Constructed of cement fiberboard panels, the facade of the building acts as a rain screen and shading system. The panels themselves, which vary in size, relief, and positioning are supposed to reflect the activities within the building. The floating membrane, which also serves a functional purpose, is designed to articulate the passage of time and represent a musical metaphor.

Founded in 1988, Studio Pali Fekete Architects (SPF:a) has completed projects ranging in size and scope from 5,500 square foot private homes to the 300,000 square foot Getty Villa Museum renovation."

-culvercity.org