Starck Goes Eastwest

It seems that Philippe Starck will never run out of venues on which to impose his vision. Declaring the pigeonholed, darkened recording studio to be unfit for working in 12 hours a day, he’s put his hand to Eastwest studios in Hollywood to save it from a similar fate. Founded in 1961, as part of audio legend Bill Putnam’s United Western Studios, the studio has hosted such musical royalty as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Madonna and many more. Eastwest figured such star-studded clients wouldn’t mind stepping out of a luxurious designer hotel into a designer studio, so they got Starck in on the job. Starck didn’t mess with the hallowed acoustics of the recording studio, rather, turning his attention to the living areas of the studio. In dramatic fashion, the entrance to the 21,000sqft facility is covered by a grand drape to prepare artists for going on stage and performing in the studios beyond. Further creative inspiration was added in a VIP suite upstairs, with a personal entrance, large terrace, cabana, fireplace, lounge area with pool table and a private restroom and shower. There are also three more Starck designed artist lounges on the ground floor connected by bridges between their mezzanine floors for the hustle and bustle of studio engineers. For a touch of visual expression the catering- equipped kitchen has large walls covered in blackboard paint — Starck got his daughter Ara to kick off the creativity with a chalk artwork on the doors. It’s a wonder with all this extra-curricular creative output and luxurious mod cons that any music gets made at all!