Pacific Design Center

I'm not a fan of the Pacific Design Center. This "big blue whale" of a building is impressive from the outside with its twin green and red buildings. However, the inside is a ghost town in terms of customers. It's a place where designers shop for their clients but I guess the designers these days either order by phone or online. First and foremost, the parking was hard to find. I first entered from the front of the building and ended up at the valet. The self parking structure is on Melrose near Urth Cafe and Zinc Cafe. Not an amazing lot to park and it is pricey to park here. When I entered the building I walked right up to the information desk. They gave me a pamphlet with an alphabetical list of stores. I asked if there was a directory of the category of each store. Nope. I was on my own to figure out where I had to go to find what I needed. Not very productive or helpful. Another qualm I have about this place is the escalators. Some weren't working and I had to walk up and down them. Also, the railing was really dirty. My hands were filthy after riding them. The stores themselves house beautiful, expensive furniture and I did find the associates in the stores to be nice, honest, and friendly. I enjoyed visiting them. It was fun to see what is out there in the decorating world. At the end of the day, I did not find the one thing I was looking for here and I don't think I would come back here again.

Y'know, Elton throws his annual post-Oscars party here. Not sure how my invitations get lost every year, but Jamie W. and I found ourselves strolling Melrose Avenue and facing this monolithic structure. Actually 'monolithic' is not the right word because the complex consists of three asymmetrical buildings in three colors - Blue (1975), Green (1988), and Red (2013). No surprise how cavernous it was. Designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli (...he later designed the Salesforce Tower), it has a similarly austere feeling which amplifies the emptiness inside. It's not a retail shopping center, it's primarily a series of designer showrooms so you have to have a lot of ka-ching to be considered a serious consumer. We were just looking for the toilet. RELATED - Exploring LA? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2TWT63v

I had such a lovely time here with my work for an event sponsored by NAMI. The food was delicious and the lighting was wonderful. All the severs and assistants were very helpful. The bar was well stocked and we all had an amazing time. It was a very spacious event and I liked how we could see the speaker from various televisions throughout the event. The Valet parking was reliable and efficient. Looking forward to the next event I attend here.

Excellent venue and plenty of parking! Whenever there are events or screenings here I always try to attend as it's one of the nicest screening venues in LA.

Absolutely gorgeous venue. A designers dream. PDC has helped me for years through my career. I have to admit, being a designer is challenging. Making my clients happy for the past five years is a huge job in itself. when I get stuck and I need inspiration PDC is where I go! They have amazing speakers. I was there in April. After listening to my favorite designers, I came out completely inspired and ready to show my new ideas to my clients. If your a designer you must visit PDC

The Blue Whale is the first of a series of buildings built in 1975. The Green in 1988 & Red in 2013. Why blue whale? Because it loomed large, long & blue over the neighbouring area. In some ways Pacific Design Center reminds me of the Memphis Group Milano that used vivid colors as one element in their post modern designs. I knew thst most of the showcase design stores were mostly for trade only, but little did I know that some of the space is dedicated to art to the public. I got wind of a recreated, more high tech version of Andy Warhol's Rain Machine (Daisy Waterfall) 1969 which was exhibited gratis. Tinkling, peaceful music, sounds of rain falling in the darkness, laser simulated rain created a Zen-like meditative moment in time. What made it even more personal was that there was no one else on a Friday afternoon. The man in charge told us we could stay as long as we wanted. How cool was that? There were two other rooms that had art. One was electronic visual art and the other distorted statues that look normal from one angle but otherwise look ultra thIn & distorted. The Blue Whale's interior is tastefully done even though the scale is large. The grounds around the buildings are orderly & immaculately planted. There is also a branch of MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art that has interesting exhibits. Now that I know about the free art spaces, the PDC doesn't seem like an antiseptic, forbidden, unwelcoming space any longer. Great way to PR and create good will.

Architecturally, this building is beautiful. It's only for people in the design trade, yet I was here twice for special screenings at their Silver Screen movie theater. Parking is underground and plentiful, just off Melrose. The security guards were very helpful my first time in the building, trying to find the movie theater. I wish I was an interior designer or architect as the showrooms looked invitingly awesome through the plate glass windows at night...

*** aesthetically speaking, i think the PDC is beautiful. *** it's very contemporary, accessible, feature free art events, superior courtyard, appealing fountain, and sculptures too. there are even swanky restaurant/lounges to hang late nite. i attended a Remy Martin party here years ago that was off the chain. in 2004 AMEX sponsored an attractive Leibovitz photo exhibition of notable celebrities that are AMEX cardmembers. but yesterday i just chilled in the courtyard and read a book. *** PDC is a one-stop shop for the contemporary soul. ***

OMG this place is amazing! The outside has always been quite enchanting and I've always wandered what was inside? Well, today we satisfied our curiosity and after our MOCA trip, went inside! I'm so glad I did cuz it was just as beautiful inside as it was outside! It houses some of the most cutting edge home decor, coupled with really cool art galleries! Some were really nice and allowed us to walk thru the design studios while others were Snooty as Hell! Prices were far outta the average persons range but the way they had them laid out made it very good for inspiration.

Traipsed through the Pacific Design Center on Melrose looking for furniture. It's only open to the "trade" so you have to come with a designer. It's such a huge place, a couple of enormous colored glass buildings (blue and green, it's known as "The Blue Whale"), with floor upon floor of design showrooms, and long hallways, with many closed shops (sign of the economy). Almost no one will let you take photos inside because they don't want their designs ripped off. We went into Aga John Rugs -- fabulous rugs, many of them antiques, thousands of dollars. There was a gorgeous Chinese design store with vases, Buddhas, chests, hangings, etc. Made me a little nervous - the aisles were so packed and so narrow, I was afraid I'd knock over something valuable! Found a round dining room table I liked, but it didn't come in the size I needed. When I learned the price it made me gasp slightly... so on to future adventures. My favorite piece was a small loveseat that had hand tooled Italian leather back and seat, curved hand-carved wooden arms and legs.... and cowhair trim. Sounds outrageous but it was gorgeous. They have everything anyone could want here. All styles, all sizes.... but only high prices.

Oh. My God. Like wow! So this place is not complete yet. But still I am amazed by the vastness of it all. I came when the building was closed but the museum was hosting an independent book fair. Seeing places like this makes me value my childhood and feel bad that most people in my area really don't have any way to easily be exposed to stuff like this. It just expands your mind. Someday I might even be able to afford a nice item or two.

I was only here for the Reel Steal movie viewing, but I thought the center was beautiful inside. The theatre was comfortable, but seating is not great if a tall person plops right down in front of you. I recommend sitting in the very front row. It didn't cramp my neck and made the experience more enjoyable. Normally, I avoid the front. Parking: Private structure or street.

Gorgeous event spaces with the added freedom to now work with whatever vendors you choose (including the caterer)! Can't wait to plan many more with the team at the PDC.

Staff is friendly, center and facilities are clean, variety of stores, parking is expensive.

This is the place to shop if your purchasing your third home. The showrooms can order you anything. Most items are high ends and imported. Most designers and high end stagers and contractors, shop here

Okay, so if you're like me, you've lived in LA for a couple years and probably never realized just what the heck that big blue building on San Vicente was. I thought it was a fashion design insitute before I friend told me FIDM is located downtown. Turns out, this place houses wholesale interior design firms. It's open to the public, but the people we saw browsing all were there to buy with their designer. I guess if you're Brad Pitt and you want to pay a zillion dollars for a mansion full of individually designed furniture, this is where you go! There are two reasons this place is awesome: (1) the architecture, and (2) the MOCA "cube." Inside the design center, there are multiple buildings that house these designers' offices and showrooms, and you're allowed to walk all around the building, exploring abandoned hallways and insane escalators. We got off one floor, and it was completely empty and pitch-black. Spooky but fun! Parts of Westworld were filmed here, and it definitely has that cool Blade Runner/sci-fi vibe. What I refer to as the MOCA "cube," is this square building right off San Vincente on the west side of the building. I believe it is called "MOCA Contemporary" and is a 2-story completely FREE gallery space. No reservations required! There was only 1 artist on display when we went there, but I thought it was really awesome. When you're inside, there are no windows so it feels like you're on a spaceship. Anyway, if you have been wondering just what the heck this place is, park across the street at the County Library and walk over to explore for a couple hours!

This West Hollywood design complex, a stunning architectural achievement unto itself, consists of two buildings - Blue and Green - housing some one hundred thirty showrooms featuring furniture, fabrics, floorcoverings, architectural products, wallcoverings, lighting, and kitchen and bath products and accessories, in styles ranging from traditional to contemporary. Also located on the beautifully-landscaped fourteen acre site is the Museum of Contemporary Art, a three thousand-square-foot gallery focusing primarily on architecture and interior design.

I've been to many design center's and the PDC was not as impressive at it is from the outside. Love the red and green "Lego" style buildings but when you go to each and every designers store inside.... the variety is not there. Im a HUGE fan of contemporary and mid century modern furniture and what I saw here was traditional stuff, antiques, old school and other outdated styles. I was really disappointed. In comparison... Miami and New York and so much much more to offer ...in variety and style. Come on PDC and get with the program. Had some friends from Aspen visiting in town and we all decided to check out the PDC together and they agreed with me that this design center needs some work...in many different areas. The restaurants may be good because they are Wolfgang Puck but what about the reason why we are here....... ? On our way out I was talking with some people that worked there and I asked them why most of the stuff in there was so traditional and they stated... "Its the older generation that have the money and are spending it and this is the style that they want". Ok.. oh and BTW.... you DO NOT have to be an interior designer to gain entry to this place... just GO.

This lego structure on Melrose which has been up since the 80's is a marvel in itself. This showroom super sturucture houses around 130 design showrooms offering designers and buyers furniture, fabrics, lighting, moldings and so so so much more. I have definitely been here a few times and love it. Definitely an experience for any art students or just to come look around!

I'm an interior design student, so I have heard about this place. My manager where I used to intern at says its a good place to get inspired at! True that is. The showrooms in there are quite beautiful. More-so modern designs, and you can see everything outside the glass windows. I will say though, not too many people are able to afford much of what they sell here. The place is quite "bougey" so try to dress up a little to go in. Its gorgeous in there though! Its really just for the richest clients, and since I'm not one of those clients, I didn't dare go inside any of the showrooms! Still, walking around peeking in was fun for me and my boyfriend. Even architecturally, it's made very well and efficient considering how much is going on in one of three connecting buildings (connected with MoMA!). You see a lot of empty lots due to the recession, so imagine what its like with full capacity! Its also right next to moma! Which I didn't know but convenient cause I wanted to go there too. Just a very artsy center I go to on an off day :) also for parking: right across the street is the los angeles public library and a parking lot. We parked there cause it was like an hour free parking and just walked across! We were only there roughly an hour so its better than parking at pdc which I think is $1.50 per 15 minutes or something? Anyway, enjoy and get inspired!

Your one stop shop for the trade. A heaven for the design industry. From fabric, trims, art, accessories, furnishings, lighting, flooring, and much, much more. This is the highest caliber of design headquarters for your most prestigious of clientele. A true honor to visit, let alone work out of.

I've always been really curious about that big old blue building right on Melrose called the Pacific Design Center. It's enormous and a little intimidating - I've never been sure if I could even step in. In order to debunk some myths, I found the Director of Pacific Design Services, Lynda Brenner, who was kind enough to set aside an hour with me and Sam to give us a grand tour of the place and tell us more about the PDC. cont'd with pictures: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2100445%3ABlogPost%3A13468

This review is solely for the parking garage. The irony of this situation is that this place is called the Pacific DESIGN Center, yet the garage is SO poorly designed. I work here so I have to deal with this insane, confusing, labyrinthine structure every day. I don't know what they were thinking when designing the garage. I really wonder if they were trying to be "cool" and "innovative" with the layout since the architecture of the building is unique, but it's a huge design fail. There are blind corners everywhere, strange unnecessary corridors that frequently lead to cars nearly colliding with each other due to more blind corners, extremely narrow pathways between pillars you have to navigate your car through, absolutely the WORST signage ever --you have to search and look around for any indication to know which floor you're on. The stop signage is so poorly executed around the garage which also leads to almost-accidents. Not to mention THE WORST speed bumps that will fuck your car's shocks if you go over them a little too fast. Even rolling over them at a snail's pace makes me worry my car is going to get some air. The Red side of the parking garage is full of 2-3 stack tandem spots that are always roped off. Were they thinking they could valet THAT many cars? What??? It's just... the worst. SMH. END RANT

Beautiful as imagined but not very welcoming to guests. I was trying to take a pic of the building, from the outside. After all, I finally had a chance to visit this building that I had admired since a child, but got denied. Did they think my iphone cam had a telescopic app, that could see into the dark windows? Possibly. Understandable that designers are protecting their work but discouraging for design enthusiasts. I left there inspired by the visual experience, saddened by society. And parking was ridiculous. Park in the lot behind Million Milkshakes across the street. There's a cc meter.

To me, my furniture is almost as important as the home itself. Therefore, it's important to get the best I can afford. Fortunately, the PDC not only has the best stuff, their prices are surprisingly affordable. For a little more than what I normally spend at a regular higher end furniture store, I can get the best from the PDC. The only downside is a "waiting period" of up to 6 months or more for many of the "custom" orders. I think it's worth the wait.

Although the colors on the exterior are quite obnoxious, the building is still an architectural marvel in its own unique way. Walking to my office on a daily basis as my oxford shoes loudly clack on the marble floors is a remarkable feeling. I love it. The soft, Enya-like music adds to the ambience as well. That acoustic combination of human sound and angelic music takes the hustle and bustle out of you, even if only for a moment. The amenties in the building are rather upscale, with two Wolfgang Puck restaurants and a host of prestigious agencies and firms in the green building (which is where I work!). Currently, the PDC is still undergoing construction. Soon enough, the final red building will be erected. Whether you live or are simply visiting the LA area, be sure to stop by the Center. It's right in the heart of West Hollywood, too, surrounded by gay bars, lounges and gourmet restaurants.

my professor told me about pacific design center and I'm so thankful she did. heaven for the design industry! a bunch of showrooms from furniture, fabrics, to art. I was doing a couple of material board projects and few stores gladly gave me as many samples as I needed. a great place to visit. also need to visit MOCA.

i know this magical and colorful place not through its original purpose. I don't shop here. I'm not an interior designer. Rather, I've visited to see a handful of film screenings here over the years. There's a nice lobby outside for the occasional dessert and coffee celebration. And inside the screen and sound are high quality, as you might imagine. I've recently discovered that the rake of the house is not on much of a grade -- so sitting in the center section can proving frustrating. But, depending on the size of the crowd, when you sit on the side, it's a much more satisfying experience.

When I was an aspiring Interior Designer, I got a chance to check this place out.... since I believe it's closed to the public and is only a "to the trade" place most of the time. This place is full of floors and floors of showrooms. Mostly fabrics (which ahhh! of course I loved it!) but flooring, tiles, bathroom fixtures, etc. The day I was here though... I think it was a design student day... all the different firms were giving away little samples so I had a field day. :) As someone mentioned, this place is extremely high end. I mean, I don't really think most people would be able to afford the stuff here... but it's great to draw inspiration from. Yeah and you need to be dressed up when you go here. Sneakers and jeans are not really what you want to wear here... unless you want to be looked down upon... because this place is a bit snobby. Anyway, I had a lot of fun...and it was definitely a great experience!

Cool venue. Came here for a Skinny Cow event. Parking was free and the space was big enough to accomdate all of the attendees without packing us in like sardines. The "storefront" displays were a nice plus to the event. It's always nice to daydream and look at the pretty things that I can't afford. Sigh...one day.

PDC is the hub of LA's interior design scene situated in a large, modern looking building (even though it's been in existence since the mid-70s). It's open to the public, but they don't sell to the public so you are basically just going there to look around. I was in the neighborhood, and thought I'd stop by to walk around and peruse the window displays. I lucked out and found a metered space right across the street on Melrose Ave. It appears that most of the action is on the 1st floor - most if not all the spaces are occupied - but the 2nd floor is practically vacant. I'm sure the rents are crazy high, but I was surprised to see so many empty spaces! There is a Wolfgang Puck restaurant on the 3rd floor, but it wasn't open yet, so didn't get to check it out. I saw some interesting pieces being showcased on the 1st floor, and some vintage art work on the 2nd floor that caught my eye. Please see pictures attached. Enjoyed my visit!

This place is for the people that print money and just don't give a damn! All beautiful and everyone friendly. Why wouldn't they be when one commission could net them $10K alone if not more. I had a budget of $200. Not much for me, but had fun looking at when others can do when not limited by debt. Ouch....

C. and I took the bus here last night for a public transit community meeting about the plans for the Westside subway and the Hollywood extension that's one of the options being considered. So we only saw the exterior, the entrance lobby, and the conference center -- which would make an awesome venue for an event (and did). The exterior is beautiful, sweeping, and innovatively lit. Inside, the part we didn't really see, houses entertainment companies, 120 design showrooms and 2,200 interior product lines, two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the SilverScreen Theater, and a fitness center. I'm sure most of the interior design items are out of my price range, but it's still nice to look at. The lobby houses some large-scale interior sculptures, so be sure to check those out, as well.

Rubik's cube green and blue?? Who designed this place?? I kid, I kid... The MOCA exhibit of ready made houses was interesting. Makes me think that yes indeed, I too can one day buy a house I can afford. The book store was the best part. We found art books that we could only find on Amazon used for butt-reaming prices.

Enjoy this movie theater. Screen is small but seats are comfy and no one blocks your view. Sound is not bad.

Was here for a Skinny Cow event last weekend. Event was very fun with free ice cream, snacks, drinks and swag! Even complimentary parking! Design Center is nice. Entry from parking garage isn't anything spectacular. But, caught a glimpse of some of the spaces from the event and they look pretty nice.

Basically looks like Lego blocks from outside. It's real nice inside. Like a luxurious mall where your worth is measured by the car you drive and the clothes you wear. So yeah I felt out of place stepping in here with Vans on. Other than that, this place is really for high-end designers/the 1% of our money here in these United States.

Quick Tip: Here for a SAG Awards screening. Full Review: I suppose I can't really give a review for the entire venue. Although I did window shop whilst walking to the movie screening and let me tell you... I was not impressed by the decor options in the different shops. Maybe I just don't understand ugly and uncomfortable looking furniture. Things I can review: The appearance is disgusting. I have driven by the building so many times and always thought it was icky. It is like an old-school Vegas hotel. The blue, green and red lighting effects are not pretty. The garage is large so I don't think parking would ever be a problem. The bathroom we used on the first floor was gloomy. The soap dispensers and towel dispensers were broken. The seating at these screenings was something we were warned about so we planned accordingly. For the screening and Q&A of Silver Linings Playbook we arrived nearly an hour early so we could have a good choice of seats. Since the seating isn't really stadium style (there is a SLIGHT grade but not enough to matter) there aren't many unobstructed views of the screen/stage. The entire middle front row filled up in seconds. My friend and I opted to sit in the front row of the far left section so that we didn't have to sit on our feet or peek around other's heads just to see the screen. We tried the second row of the middle first and it was terrible. The seats are really close together and I just felt claustrophobic. From the edge of the theater, we had freedom to lean back and still be able to see. The lobby of the theater is nicely decorated and it would be a fun place to see a screening that involved a little more mingling before or after. The sound and video quality were good. Better than some regular theaters... and this was free! This center seems to host a lot of events so I'm sure I'll be back. It isn't the coolest venue and I will never shop here but it served its purpose for the screening.

Come get a look at whats out there and coming in interior design! Been here for photo events and advertising events. A treat for the eyes

I am a professional interior designer who has lived in LA since 2009 and shop here regularly for fabrics. Before relocating to LA, I would drive from San Diego for Westweek each year because we had nothing like this. Despite the fact that some showrooms have left due to the recession, this is still the best design center in the US in my opinion. It is not here to entertain tourists and the showrooms are only protecting themselves against copyright infringement when they turn you down for product photos. The industry loses billions of dollars each year as the result of stolen designs. You would understand if you had spent $200k to attend a top design school, worked for free as an intern then finally landed a gig as a top furniture designer only to have your designs ripped off by someone making low-quality copycats. Litigation for copyright infringement is what keeps adding to the cost of these products! Thus producing the need for 'knock offs'. A vicious cycle indeed. Anyway, the architecture and landscaping is beautiful and you can take plenty of pictures of that. If you know how to use this resource, it is amazing. People come from all over the world to attend the workshops and from all over the country to find products only available in LA or NY. PARKING TIP: Park across the street on San Vicente in the public lot across from library (through the alley next to coffee shop). It is free for first hour and also has 2 electric car charging stations (BLINK) right by the elevators. I think it's 2 bucks an hour after the first free.

This is a dream center for decorating your home if you have the big bucks to spend. They have the most beautiful furniture, materials and high-end home stores. Decorating a room in your house with materials from here will likely cost you a years salary, and the room will look like it's out of Versailles. But sometimes you get what you pay for. Or there's always Ikea.

You can't miss it. A giant Blue LEGO in the middle of West Hollywood. Like the detractors of the Eiffel Tower, I stay inside the building so I don't have to see it in the daytime. However just like the Eiffel, it looks pretty at night when it is all lit up.

I come here several times a year for industry screenings at the Silver Screen Theater. Parking is ludicrously expensive and there are more rent-a-cops than customers in this 75% vacant mall for home furnishings and decor for the 1%. Here's an example of the ridiculous security situation; they station a rent-a-cop by the huge Melrose entrance to tell people to walk half a block to a different entrance. If he is going to be there guarding the entrance, why not let people in under his oh-so watchful eye? Stupidly run facility.

I hate this place. Its such an eye-sore. I wish a bulldozer would knock that whole place down. What a useless waste of space. Its always empty and depressing. I'd kill myself if I worked in there. Everytime I have to go in there (to see our PR agency) I think "ugh. How many minutes till I can exit this dump?"

dress nicely when you come here. or else you'll feel like a doofus. love mimi london, thomas lavin, cowtan & tout, a rudin, donghia! but they sell to designers only so na-na-na-na-na-na!

This place is so beautiful! I was here for a Fashion Week runway show and got to walk around and check out the different showrooms and design elements before the show...Love the architecture and that it's in dear old WeHo. I also got an invite for a big sample sale here tomorrow, hopefully I'll get to go to more events here.

The PDC is an architectural behemoth that belongs in the Las Vegas skyline next to the Rio Resort and Casino rather than the Westside. It's filled with overpriced furniture stores that aren't even open on the weekends. Parking inside is $10 with non-credit card meters on the street.

I'll be honest...I'm not thrilled about the look and feel of the architecture of the pacific design center. I went here for a fashion show tonight and although the interior is very very sleek the exterior is a 50/50 with me...it depends on the day I drive by or the time of day for that matter. Sometimes it reminds me of those LAX pillars that light up and change color and sometimes it's a fantastic beacon of WeHo...tonight was not one of those nights.

I come here frequently, and overall this place is VERY nice! Its a great place to get ideas on furnishing your home and also its a good place to compare my products to the many companies in this center. I cant wait for the Red Building that is being built as I write this