One of Highland Park's most storied buildings, the former Kress department store—known locally as the Frank's Building—was restored and brought back to life for a neighborhood in the midst of its own revival. The two-story building with full basement has the kind of character that can't be built from scratch, and the goal was to honor that history while making it fully viable for a new generation of tenants.

The shell and core scope included seismic retrofits, elevator upgrades, and a careful redesign of the storefront that satisfied the city's historic preservation requirements without sacrificing the functionality modern tenants need. Wick Architecture then carried that vision through to the interiors, completing tenant improvements for two of the building's anchor occupants—Lemontree Studios and Blind Barber—ensuring a cohesive design narrative from facade to floor plan.

Size: 22,500 SF; 2 Stories + Full Basement
Location: Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA