Dezeen Magazine

Sapphire Gallery by XTEN Architecture 2

Los Angeles practice XTEN Architecture have completed a gallery perched on top of an art collector's house in Los Angeles.

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Called Sapphire Gallery, the project involved creating a space to display the owner's private collection of artwork that could also be used for family activities.

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The extension is elevated to allow for parking, a play area, and space for parties and projections underneath.

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The structure was built in a factory and assembled on site in one day.

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More information about the project in our previous story.

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Photographs are by Art Gray.

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The following text is from the architects:

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Sapphire

Residential Gallery Addition to Private Residence, Los Angeles, California

The Sapphire Gallery is a residential addition designed to display a private collection of contemporary art while also providing for a home office with views to the surrounding hills.

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The owners’ collection includes work by the artists Gregory Crewdson, Uta Barth, Tomoroy Dodge and the video artist Jennifer Steinkamp, and they expressed interest in a new building that would be more than just a container for their expanding art collection.

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The new building would have be multivalent; with suitable spaces for the artworks, but it would also have to be open to the views, provide for various domestic program spaces, and create a compelling new focal point for the approach and entry to the residence.

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The new structure is grafted onto the circulation spine of the existing house and lifted off the ground to provide a minimal footprint.

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Freeing the ground plane creates a new multi-functional hardscape/landscape area for the family that they use as carport, children's play area, for art parties and video projections.

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A structural system of lightweight braced frames was developed. They were factory built and assembled by crane in one day.

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These trusses rest upon moment frames that clear span the open ground plane in the perpendicular direction, and the floor and roof diaphragms are infilled with typical 2x wood framing.

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The system proved to be a remarkably simple, flexible and cost-effective way to achieve the program parameters of the project.

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The remaining details are simple and direct: casement windows, quartz pebble flooring, steel stairs and railings with perforated panels, infill walls of gypsum board with floor to ceiling pivot doors, full height glass with a ceramic coating for UV and solar protection.

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An array of photovoltaic cells on the South facing sloped roof produces an average of 15kWh per day, enough to supply all the energy for the new building with a surplus directed towards the main house.

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More about XTEN Architecture on Dezeen: 

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Sapphire Gallery