An adaptive reuse of a warehouse within LA’s MOCA as a new venue for performing arts and the design of a ground-up artist residency for visiting artists and performers share a central inquiry — the reimagination of the relationship between the front of house and back of house. The strategic placement of the ‘preparation spaces’ mediate the boundary between the public and private realms, introducing a new dynamic for the visitors and the performers.

The renovation of the Warehouse introduces three key interventions to transform the formerly industrial space into a dynamic performance art venue: the relocation of preparation spaces to the mezzanine level for maximum floor space, the design of prominent and iconic entryways that establish the Warehouse as a standalone venue, and the additions to the existing structures to create an infrastructural grid system for performance and staging equipment.

As an extension to the MOCA performing arts center, the artist residency functions as a primary rehearsal and accomodation space for visiting artists and crew. Located on top of the Little Tokyo/Arts District metro station, this new development keeps the existing structures completely intact, while creating surgical connections that allow the private establishment to dynamically engage with the public. By bringing the rehearsal space to the forefront, the project redefines the mode of artistic and cultural exchange, displaying, reflecting, and superimposing public and private activities into a single communal phenomenon.