Located in Venice, California (one block from the Venice Beach Boardwalk), a vibrant creative neighborhood, the Lighthouse is situated on the historic site of the 1939 Venice Post Office, a WPA-era building. It reinterprets the building’s original role as a communications hub for the digital age.
The newly designed interiors embody an industrial style blended with warm touches and influences from Brutalist architecture, as well as Le Corbusier’s inspiration for Japanese libraries. The design is led by Warkentin Associates.
Members and residents have access to facilities for filming, recording, editing, podcasting, cooking, live streaming, performance, speaking, screening, writing and co-creation, as well as a vibrant central café—seamlessly blending technology with real-life collaboration. The Lighthouse fosters a vibrant creative ecosystem where innovation, production and community can flourish under the same roof.
Inspired by Bauhaus principles, the design employs simple, industrial materials such as steel, glass and concrete, aligning with the idea of being "true to the material". Paul Rudolph’s textured plasterwork and Le Corbusier’s treatment of staircases as sculptural experiences also informed the architectural details.
