Liberation Coffee House
Our Design: Fostering Pride & Warmth in a Community-Driven Space
A celebration of the LGBTQ community in Los Angeles also inspired the design choices of the Liberation Coffee House. The interior palette of red, orange, yellow and green—which represent life, healing, sunlight, and nature, respectively, as part of the LGBTQ Pride flag—reference the positive, optimistic, and free spirit of the LGBTQ community and Los Angeles. A series of overlapping shear fabric panels hung along the café’s floor-to-ceiling windows create a gradient of color reminiscent of California’s spectacular sunsets.
“The café’s interior space was inspired by artist Keith Haring whose vivid colors and simple lines evoke energy and life. Building on this framework, the soft-curved architectural elements of the café’s walls and furnishing represent the notion of fluidity. The Center’s brief was to create a space that is welcoming to all, and our response was to create a flexible space that is fun, approachable, and accommodating to a variety of uses.” – ORA Architect and Designer Oonagh Ryan
While the day‐to‐day use is a retail coffee shop, Liberation Coffee House’s agile space layout can be reconfigured quickly to accommodate gallery openings, meetings, lectures, celebrations, networking mixers, and other community events.
“Having just completed the Anita May Rosenstein Campus, it was only fitting that Swinerton came back to build the beautiful Liberation Coffee House for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. We are so honored to build this project that enhances a center which advocates for everything we believe in as a socially responsible company serving our community.” – Swinerton Vice President – Division Manager Lia Tatevosian
PROJECT TEAM
Architect: ORA
Oonagh Ryan, Principal
James Guillou, Project Manager
Brian Trinidad, Designer
Contractor: Swinerton Builder
Millwork: Day Star Industries
Furniture: Pacific Office Interiors
Upholstery: Quality Custom Upholstery
Fabric Panels: Brisas Drapery
Framing: Cali Framing
Plants: Sunset Boulevard Nursery
FURNITURE, FIXTURES & EQUIPMENT
Counter Material:
Tile: Emser Logic 3” x 6” Glossy White Ceramic Tile with Custom Color Red Epoxy Grout
Corian: Cameo White
Floor: Concrete, Sealed Ardex Topping Slab
Wall Colors:
Benjamin Moore, Super White PM-1
Benjamin Moore, Hydrangea Flowers 2008-40
Benjamin Moore, Rose Quartz 2002-30
Benjamin Moore, Sun Porch 2023-30
Wood Bench: Nordus Clean Spruce Veneer Plywood
Fabric Panels: Maharam – Air, Frost & Noon Shear Fabrics in Variety of Colors
Seat Pads: Maharam – Quay Conch Fabric
Plastic Laminate, Wood Grain: Wilsonart Minitoba Maple 7911-60
Furniture:
Custom Trash/Recycling & Coffee Station Carts: Heartwork
Communal Table: Hem
Café Table: Normann Copenhagen
Dining Chairs: Muuto
Bar Stools: Design Within Reach
Ottomans: BluDot
Lounge Chair: West Elm
Terrazzo Coffee Table: CB2
Paper Pendant: Hay
Patio Furniture: Fermob
Liberation Coffee House
on the Center’s Anita May Rosenstein Campus
6725 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Monday–Friday: 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
323-993-8954