It's also about the creative energy of West Hollywood and the Sunset Strip in particular – capturing the sense of exuberant optimism for the present and the future that has defined Sunset Boulevard through its many historical iterations and identities.
– Arne Emerson

Morphosis have revealed eye-catching designs for a two-tower, mixed-use development on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, with a sculptural, bridged structure and a raised, landscaped garden in its central void.

8850 Sunset is part of an ongoing transformation of the Sunset Strip, with a number of new mixed-use buildings having been added in recent years.

Developed by Silver Creek Commercial Development, the project is aimed at contributing "to the activity and liveliness of the surrounding community throughout the day and night."

The building will cover 239,000sq ft (22,000sq m) and rise 15 storeys, with a two-storey podium at its base that will contain cafés, public spaces and retail spaces.

The two towers will bookend the development, with one containing residences and the other a hotel.

They will be separated by 100ft (30m)-wide gap and joined at the job by an inhabitable bridge, which will accommodate a restaurant and bar with an outdoor dining terrace and a balcony level with a swimming pool and an event space.

On top of the podium, in the void between the towers, there will be a landscaped garden that will provide a space not only for relaxing, but that will contribute towards the development's sustainability and wellness credentials.

It will help to reduce heat and energy loads, act as a buffer for rainwater management and create natural habitats for local fauna, reduce air and noise pollution and bring nature into an urban environment.

Elsewhere, the building will contain a public banquet hall, meeting spaces, outdoor dining offers and a nightclub.

Arne Emerson, partner at Morphosis and project principal, said: "This project is all about light, space, landscape; all elements that define the iconic spaces of southern California. But it’s also about the creative energy of West Hollywood and the Sunset Strip in particular – capturing the sense of exuberant optimism for the present and the future that has defined

"Sunset Boulevard through its many historical iterations and identities. Fostering an active street life – with music spaces, outdoor dining, bars, restaurants, and attractive public space – is a central focus to our vision for this project."

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021.