Prada Beverly Hills / 2004

ArchitectOMA - Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Executive ArchitectBrand + Allen Architects

Structural EngineerArup

Services EngineerArup

ContractorPlant Construction

Façade ContractorAcralight International / CS Erectors / The Carvist Corporation

Glass EngineeringDewhurst Macfarlane & Partners

This new Prada flagship store on Rodeo Drive features a 5,000 ft2 (465 m2) glass skylight extending over the full surface area of the building. At the main entrance, structural glass skylights are flush with the exterior ground surface, so that passers-by look down upon the window displays. The primary street-facing façade is composed of monolithic 15 x 42 ft (4.6 x 12.8 m) aluminum rain screen panels above a 40 ft (12.2 m) wide retractable door. The interior features LCD glass screens, which form the atrium and fitting room walls, and custom structural glass balustrades, which perfectly fit the central stair profile. Front consulted on all aspects of the enclosure and interior glazing systems from schematic design through construction administration. This project required an extraordinary level of innovative design, research and coordination with custom fabricators. For example, due to their extreme size, the 1-inch-thick hot-rolled aluminum panels at the street-facing façade could only be fabricated by a facility typically catering to the aircraft industry.