Project Description
Heartbreak Hotel
Los Angeles, California
The Record Plant recording studio was founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone who engineered many of the most famous rock recordings of the ’60’s including Jimi Hendrix’ Electric Ladyland sessions. Kellgren planned to develop a new, exclusive recording studio located above the Sunset Strip on a property which was originally built by a Hollywood cinema mogul for his then-mistress. “The Castle”, as the property is known, is a Hollywood version of a medieval castle, with turrets, stained glass windows and a stunning view of Los Angeles. Kellgren commissioned a renovation and expansion project which was designed to accommodate such superstars as the Rolling Stones, the Eagles and Sly Stone in an environment which catered to their every whim. The only drawback to the scheme was that the existing property was zoned for residential use. Through a series of studies and presentations to the Los Angeles Planning Department, the rezoning was accomplished within a relatively short period of time. Due to the untimely death of Kellgren, the project did not proceed. It remains another dream and legend in Tinseltown: Heartbreak Hotel.
Services provided include:
- Coordination with project owners and Record Plant staff.
- Coordination with architects Tom Murphy and Francis Chan on developing graphics and models.
- Preparation of zoning and land use analyses.
- Preparation of formal submissions to the City of Los Angeles.
Role:
Zoning and Planning Coordinator
