Photo Credit: The Arts Club
Gwyneth Paltrow will soon have a new place to hang her hat on the Sunset Strip. Her project The Arts Club, a posh members-only society in London, was just given the green light by West Hollywood. This will make Los Angeles the first stateside edition for the club, not to mention only its second location worldwide. It’s worth mentioning that the high-profile address is just a stone’s throw from Soho House West Hollywood, another private club that was founded in London and has 20 clubs worldwide.
The actress is among those who teamed with The Arts Club to purchase the 132,000-square-foot lot at 8920 Sunset Boulevard. Perhaps Gwyneth Paltrow was attracted to the project given she frequently travels between Los Angeles and London and will soon have an Arts Club at her disposal in both cities.
Photo Credit: Jaime Olleros/Getty Images
Now plans can officially move forward, thanks to the city’s August 21 approval of the project, designed by award-winning international architecture firm Gensler. Expect The Arts Club West Hollywood’s aesthetic to merge Old Hollywood glamour with the modern appeal associated with present-day Tinseltown and a measured dose of British elegance.
When complete, eight enclosed stories and a ninth partial story will sit atop the 20,200-square-foot site. Members can look forward to enjoying a wellness center, gym, screening room and lounge as well as guest rooms, private terraces and a rooftop pool. Unlike The Arts Club London, the WeHo branch will also include some public amenities on its ground level, such as access to the entry plaza, art gallery spaces and highly curated boutique retailers.
Photo Credit: The Arts Club
The pedigreed club has a long history of catering to the elite set. Founded in 1863 in Mayfair, London, by Charles Dickens, Lord Leighton and Anthony Trollope, among others, it was established to facilitate relationships among those involved in the arts and sciences. Over its century and a half it’s seen an ever-revolving door of celebrities and high-profile entrepreneurs. In addition to Gwyneth Paltrow and friends, the WeHo branch will no doubt host a roster of local and international power players — perhaps even British royalty (Prince William and Prince Harry are reported to have frequented The Arts Club London). Is it too much to hope for a future Meghan Markle sighting?
While it’s bound to be some time before The Arts Club West Hollywood membership details circulate, the London counterpart can perhaps provide some insight. There, a full membership runs £2000 for the year, with a joining fee of £2000. A “smart dress code” is enforced, meaning no T-shirts, sports clothes, polo shirts with logos or numbers, shorts, flip-flops, baseball caps or beanies. And jeans and clean “non-sport” sneakers are permitted as long as worn with “sufficiently smart attire” — in other words, no ripped jeans or gym shoes.
Photo Credit: The Arts Club
No doubt the environmental impact of The Arts Club will be under a magnifying glass. This is LA, after all. But The Arts Club has said the building will be designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard. And systems for natural ventilation, storm water retention, high-efficiency heating and cooling, and recycling will all be incorporated into its construction and operation to reduce overall energy consumption.
Gensler, the highly esteemed architecture firm behind the venture, is already a go-to for discerning, forward-thinking companies with deep pockets. The architects’ projects include headquarters for Facebook, Instagram and Etsy; the Shanghai Tower; Ireland’s One Microsoft Place; adidas NYC; Cadillac House; The Washington Post; and the Adobe campus renovation.
Stay tuned for a projected completion date to be announced for The Arts Club West Hollywood.
The Arts Club West Hollywood will be located at 8920 Sunset Boulevard.
