El Segundo beckons Gehry

Seeking more space, Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry and his Gehry Partners LLP team will be relocating from the firm’s 44,000-square-foot studio at 12541 Beatrice St. in Los Angeles to larger digs in El Segundo in early 2009, a spokeswoman for Gehry Partners confirmed Tuesday.

The new space, occupying 75,000 square feet, is being developed by NSB Associates, which was also a partner in developing the Westside Beatrice Street location, part of a building last used by BMW to create prototypes and test cars. The firm’s current space will be taken over by TBWAChiatDay, which already occupies 45,000 square feet of the building.

Gehry and his partners were not immediately available for comment Tuesday. In a 2003 Times interview, the star architect was quoted as saying of his Beatrice Street digs: “This is it. I’m 74, and I don’t want to move again. I’m in pig heaven.”

-- Diane Haithman