Johnston Marklee . photos: © Eric Staudenmaier
The new Michael Werner Gallery with Mameg is an artist studio-like space within a historic 1938 brick building in Beverly Hills; an unexpected pairing of spaces and programs centered around an open-air courtyard.
Entering off the street through the Mameg showroom, the existing interior is transformed into an enfilade of rooms and galleries. Circulation flows along the wall to the courtyard, punctuated by sidelight from the steel-framed windows, evoking a domestic scale and atmosphere with glimpses through and between rooms. Visual and physical connections to the garden orient each room; the courtyard is a meeting place for visitors and artists.
The wood structure within is preserved, and the columns are encased in round, slightly oversized covers to match the width of the existing beams. All other details are stripped from the base and ceiling of the walls and columns, in well-proportioned rooms that are unadorned and grounded like an artist’s studio. The dark green linoleum floor, without detail or grain, connects to the tones and hues of the Juniper and Bottle Trees in the garden, linking the interior to the exterior courtyard.
The reciprocity between rooms and functions offers creative potential for activations and events that can foster new alliances and a sense of community.
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