Downtown LA Proper
Project info
Downtown LA Proper
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Type
- Hotel
- Year
- 2021
- Sq. Footage
- 400,000
Downtown L.A. Proper reimagines a landmarked 1926 Renaissance Revival building by Curlett & Beelman, allowing its history to shape a distinctly contemporary identity. Original architectural details are preserved and reinterpreted throughout, while Moorish, Spanish, and Mexican influences connect the interiors to the building and its downtown surroundings. Color, pattern, art, and crafted surfaces bring new energy to the historic spaces, creating a dialogue between what was preserved and what was introduced.
The entry preserves the building’s original pink-and-white checkered marble floor, setting historic details against new commissions. A reception desk wrapped in tilework by Morgan Peck sits beneath a hand-painted ceiling mural by Los Angeles artist Abel Macias, while a decorative glass screen by Judson Studios draws from the stained-glass entryways of Mexico City.
The guest rooms take an individual approach to color and pattern, with custom rugs inspired by vintage motifs distinguishing each floor. Paint colors shift from room to room, often drawing from the architecture of neighboring buildings, while contrasting tones bring renewed emphasis to the building’s original details.
Once an indoor pool dating to the building’s years as a YWCA, the seventh-floor Pool Suite preserves the scale and character of the original space. A custom ceramic mural by Ben Medansky introduces movement across the interior, joined by a vintage wood sculpture and Giancarlo Piretti Alky armchairs. An open kitchen overlooking the pool transforms the historic setting into a space designed for gathering.
The multilevel rooftop extends the material language of the interiors outdoors, with tile and ceramic details carried across the pool and dining terrace. Steel and wood trellises define the open-air spaces, while oversized pots and vessels filled with greenery soften the architecture. Tile mosaic tables by Morgan Peck continue the emphasis on commissioned craft found throughout the hotel.
