client:    tilt downtown partners LLC

type:   commercial

location:    los angeles, ca

size:    3,600 sq ft

status:   built

team:   darin johnstone, matt liese, jesus guerrero, kaylee hyun

photo credit:    Shannon Cottrell, © Lawrence Anderson Photography, Inc

darin johnstone architects

EightyTwo

January 2017

Childhood friends Scott Davids and Noah Sutcliffe, the driving force behind the new classic arcade / bar ‘EightyTwo’ in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles hired DJa to design a setting to foreground the games and address the entire program as follows; The games should be treated as cultural artifacts and beautiful visual objects to be featured, the project must contain at least 18 pinball machines and 20 classic arcade games without feeling like a typical arcade, there must be an outdoor space and an incredible bar. The project location fronting two streets at the corner of East Fourth Place and Third actually held two existing buildings and a small parking lot. The buildings structured as two triangular figures in plan connected by an outdoor breezeway offered a unique opportunity for organizing the program. The breezeway space between the buildings - formerly a service entrance - was designed as the main entry for the project. One building was designed as the pinball area while the other building was designed to hold 20 classic arcade games, a full service bar, a dj booth and banquette seating. Both buildings connect to the new patio through new extra-large openings with fold away cantina style doors. In addition to the architectural renovation DJa designed the entire fit out including all of the furnishing (except the chairs). Wherever the Architecture came forward DJa designed it to visually rhyme with the games. Studies of the form language of the vintage arcade game boxes served as the basis for the space plan, the Bar, the DJ booth, and all the furniture.