In anticipation of the public opening of Los Angeles’s newest contemporary art museum, the Broad, Edye and Eli Broad hosted the venue's inaugural celebration in September. Designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro in collaboration with Gensler, the 120,000-square-foot, $140-million building is a piece of artwork in itself with its honeycomb-like exterior (known as "the veil") and column-free exhibition space on the third floor. The recognizable architecture of the new museum was a natural choice to inspire the opening party.
Photo: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
Producer Ben Bourgeois produced the party, where laser-cut paper foldouts as tabletop centerpieces were meant to represent the architecture of Grand Avenue and surrounding buildings downtown, including Disney Hall and the new Broad. LED lights illuminated the representations of the buildings so they appeared to glow from within.
Photo: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
Inside the Broad museum opening party, glowing orbs illuminated the space and provided decor. The monochromatic orbs nodded subtly to the all-white exterior of the venue.
Photo: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
The J. Paul Getty Trust awarded the third annual J. Paul Getty Medal to architect Frank Gehry at the Getty Center in Los Angeles on September 28. Ben Bourgeois produced the event with a unique ceiling treatment inspired by architecture: A series of angular gray frames outfitted with neon tubing illuminated guests, and also made the entire ceiling glow as their reflections bounced off the clear-top tent.
Photo: Ryan Miller
Mirrored tabletops at the J. Paul Getty Medal event evoked the shimmering façade of a famous Gehry-designed building, Disney Hall.
Photo:Â Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
When another Los Angeles museum opened from the Broad family in 2008, that fete too was inspired by the museum’s unique architecture. Producer Ben Bourgeois was behind the Broad Contemporary Art Museum’s bash, and he said he tried to to create an atmosphere in keeping with the museum’s architecture and artwork. The team brought in a contemporary 22,000-square-foot steel structure for the dinner, covering most of the surfaces within it in white Ultrasuede with 12 cube-shaped light installations, also covered in Ultrasuede, hanging above. The installations—done in the same red tone as the building’s now highly recognizable façade—included bottom panels lit using programmable plasma-screen tiles. (They also changed color throughout the evening.)
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
Producers created a performance stage for the Broad Contemporary Art Museum's party meant to both mimic and also reveal the dramatic architecture of the museum: Lionel Richie performed during the dinner, as did musician William Joseph, who entertained on a stage that lowered from the structure's ceiling. As it got to the floor, the structure’s south wall dropped, revealing the Broad Contemporary.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
The Residence of the German Ambassador in Washington is a modernist space decorated with variations on the square form. The building itself served as the design inspiration for this year’s Opera Ball, a benefit for the Washington National Opera, in June. The architectural inspiration appeared in two custom structures at the entrance, which included logos that allowed them to double as step-and-repeats as well as a welcoming entryway.
Photo: Yassine El Mansouri
For the Washington National Opera benefit, organizers created a canopy to hang over the middle section of the patio, with tents flanking it. The canopy’s design featured a geometric look—in keeping with the building architecture—with perforations that allowed guests to see through to the night sky.
Photo: Yassine El Mansouri
A backdrop behind the bar at the opera event consisted of floral arrangements set up in a cubby-like structure that also mimicked the angular, geometric forms inspired by architecture.
Photo: Yassine El Mansouri
To force attendees out of their comfort zones, organizers invited them to participate in discussions while suspended 18 feet in the air.
Photo: Felix Renaud
Patrón
Color-blocked boxes of Patrón tequila served as a photo backdrop at the Art of Patrón event in May at LA River Studios in Los Angeles. In another layer of product display, models wore dresses made from Patrón boxes, corks, tissue paper, and recipe booklets. Photographer John Ganun of Scenario Photography created the backdrop, and Abel McCallister Designs produced the event.
Photo: Courtesy of Patron
Coca-Cola at South Beach Wine & Food Festival
A display can use artistic interpretations of the actual product. At this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, Coca-Cola presented its bottle in a sand sculpture at the Coke Cabana. The display was part of Coke Bottle 100, the brand’s 100th anniversary celebration of its bottle, which debuted in 1915.
Photo: Elizabeth Renfrow for BizBash
Fox celebrated its fall television lineup with a casino-style event in Los Angeles. YourBash! and Sada's Flowers collaborated on the event's shabby chic look, which included simple arrangements of succulents decorating the tables.
Photo: Sean Twomey/2me Studios
Slabs of neon green Lucite seemed to glow atop the clear rectangular dinner tables, while potted plants in green ceramic vases served as minimalist centerpieces.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Sequin Tabletops: Oscars
Despite its earth-toned color palette, Global Green's Oscar party had a subtle shine with seafoam green sequined tabletops.
Photo:Â Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Global Green
