Affectionately referred to as the Blue Whale, the Pacific Design Center was designed by Cesar Pelli when he was Partner for Design at Gruen Associates. Phase I of the Pacific Design Center, located in the heart of the City's well-established trade center, provides showroom space to serve the specialized needs of professional interior designers, specifiers, decorators, architects and dealers involved in contract and residential design.
From the second to sixth levels, which vary from 100,000 to 130,000 square feet, a permanent array of showrooms displays furniture, carpeting, floor coverings, specialty decorator items, gifts and accessories. Corridors on each floor vary from 30 to 120 feet in width. Contained within the corridors are glass-walled kiosks for additional show space. The Galleria mall areas on the fifth and sixth floors are covered by a skylit barrel vault that extends the full length of the building.
The Pacific Design Center was conceived as a single, free-standing structure. The decision to expand the Center raised the complex issue of how to add to a distinctive landmark. Because of the isolated form of the original building, both Phase II (Green Building) and Phase III (Red Building) additions were designed as a series of oversized fragments to form a collection of pieces. Each addition has a unique shape and color, although materials, scale and detailing correspond to the original blue structure. Phase II is clad in green spandrel glass; Phase III is clad in red. Each is organized as a series of stacked two-level atria, providing high visibility for tenants. The original building is connected to the Phase II building at the terrace and first floor levels.
