Big-Budget Minimalism : A Penthouse With Clean Lines and Wrap-Around Views of Marina del Rey

YOU COULD CALL IT PACIFIC RIM STYLE. WITH minimalist lines and built-in wood cabinetry that borrows from Asian models, a low-ceilinged, four-bedroom penthouse at the Marina City Club in Marina del Rey has been transformed into a one-bed room luxury residence for real estate developer Fredrick Chan. Working with Chan’s enviably large budget, Iranian-born architectural designer Akbar Alijamshid of (di-zin) Studio in Santa Monica renovated the interior shell completely, leaving only the wall-sized windows and a spiral staircase.

The first floor, which contained many small rooms, was opened up into an airy living space with wraparound views of the marina and coastline. Walls no longer divide specific areas: Furniture placement, planned lighting and various floor surfaces now define spaces. Alijamshid’s design scheme accommodated Chan’s large collection of high-tech equipment. The elaborate sound system--with 12 speakers in the downstairs alone--is housed in a custom-built unit that divides the living room from the adjacent video /entertainment area. And, by Chan’s order, television sets are placed in the entertainment area, living room, dining room, office, bathroom and bedroom. Nine telephones were installed.

“My approach to a design usually begins with problem solving,” Alijamshid says. His philosophy has served him well; not only was he required to conceal an abundance of electronic equipment, but he faced structural problems as well. When all of the interior walls on the first floor were removed, two large, raw cement columns were exposed. “We incorporated them into our scheme by softening their rough texture with a smooth coat of cement,” Alijamshid says. Alijamshid removed existing floors and added a layer of soundproofing materials, then installed wood and slate surfaces. Chan needed a lot of storage space but also wanted a clean, minimalist interior. Alijamshid, working with associate Ali Alam, designed custom storage units for the dining area and upstairs landing.

Chan specified colorful upholstery for the seating, not stark black or white. The designers disagreed, believing that the color from the immense view of sky, water and mountains was sufficient. They compromised and selected an Italian black leather sofa with cushions of colorful fabric. Lighting systems are by German designer Ingo Maurer.

Says Alijamshid: “We have incorporated some of the best contemporary designs of the 1980s, mixing them with our own cabinetwork and touches of early modernism--such as the classic Mackintosh chair--to create a gentle mix of classicism and individuality within a modernist vernacular.”