Binoculars Building
The Binoculars Building is a commercial building which incorporates a public sculpture ‘Giant Binoculars’ in its façade.
Located in Venice, Los Angeles, the building was originally built for the advertising agency Chait/Day, between 1991 and 2001. It was designed by the architect Frank Gehry.
Gehry’s post-modern design began with two very different structures, together making up 7,000 sq. m of office space. Gehry wanted to connect and anchor the two in the centre using a ‘giant random object’ as a sculpture. The giant binoculars, designed by artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, became the access point to the building for both cars and pedestrians.
The binoculars were constructed on a steel frame, clad with concrete and cement plaster painted with elastomeric paint.
Two tall and unusually-shaped rooms were created inside that open onto a conference room. Both rooms are fitted with a huge elongated lightbulb suspended from the ceiling.
The building is now one of the many offices leased by Google, but it remains an intriguing and unusual example of Gehry's work.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building of the week series.
- Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico.
- Frank Gehry.
- Griffith Observatory, LA.
- Piano Building.
- Ray and Maria Stata Center.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- The Atomium.
- The Bierpinsel, Berlin.
- The Sharp Centre for Design.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Walt Disney Concert Hall.
- Watts Towers.
Featured articles and news
Combating burnout.
The 5 elements of seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.
Passivhaus social homes benefit from heat pump service
Sixteen new homes designed and built to achieve Passivhaus constructed in Dumfries & Galloway.
CABE Publishes Results of 2025 Building Control Survey
Concern over lack of understanding of how roles have changed since the introduction of the BSA 2022.
British Architectural Sculpture 1851-1951
A rich heritage of decorative and figurative sculpture. Book review.
A programme to tackle the lack of diversity.
Independent Building Control review panel
Five members of the newly established, Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended, panel appointed.
Welsh Recharging Electrical Skills Charter progresses
ECA progressing on the ‘asks’ of the Recharging Electrical Skills Charter at the Senedd in Wales.
A brief history from 1890s to 2020s.
CIOB and CORBON combine forces
To elevate professional standards in Nigeria’s construction industry.
Amendment to the GB Energy Bill welcomed by ECA
Move prevents nationally-owned energy company from investing in solar panels produced by modern slavery.
Gregor Harvie argues that AI is state-sanctioned theft of IP.
Experimental AI housing target help for councils
Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records.
Comments
The building on the right is Frank Gehry's. He collaborated with an artist called Claes Oldenburg who does large sculptures like these binoculars.