A natural home of Michelin Star dining.

Auburn
Hollywood

In collaboration with Michelin Star Chef Eric Bost and Klein Agency, Auburn stands as an homage to craftsmanship and natural materials. This 105-seat restaurant was conceived as a warm, domestic shell with an open kitchen at its heart. 

Auburn is located in the noted Melrose Avenue space that once housed the late Michel Richard's iconic Citrus restaurant. The restaurant was created inside from two distinctly different buildings that had suffered from poorly thought-out remodels over the years. It was reconceived to create a seamless transition between inside and out, and a place both elegant and casual. A fine dining destination that’s distinctly Californian.

IN THE DETAILS

  • A delicate balance between old and new defines the entry sequence. Entering the restaurant along an original clerestory signifies the division between what was original and what was added over the years. Here, a careful, sculpted division between floor, walls and ceiling slowly unravels to reveal a collage of dining areas beyond.

  • The main dining area is located outside, protected by a wood ceiling structure where a large wall of bespoke natural oak windows and doors connects guests to the kitchen’s theatricality. The open-air main dining area is protected by a wood ceiling structure with raised planters evoking rural landscapes and new openings carved into existing walls linking it to the streetscape beyond.

  • Working closely with a team of local craftspeople, Klein Agency produced a custom range of furniture and fittings that are tailored specifically for Chef Bost’s concept. A warm, neutral palette of concrete, stone, wood and plaster creates an elegant, casual space that is a natural fit for the contemporary Californian dining scene.

  • The main dining space opens up to the sky through large openings in the patio wooden ceiling structure. Generous planters below each cut create the feeling of a wild, rural landscape set in the city. Two large oak sliding doors in the private dining room allow the guests to connect to a private garden and the cool evening breezes of LA.

RECOGINTION

2020 LA Business Council Architecture Award – Winner
2020 James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Award – Winner
2020 Hospitality Design Magazine 16th Annual HD Awards – Winner
2019 Surface Travel Awards – Finalist
2019 Eater Awards Design of the Year – Finalist
2019 AIA-LA Restaurant Design Awards Art Barn – Honor

CREDITS

PhotographyNicole Franzen

ContractorHoward CDM

Interior DesignKlein Agency

Furniture & AccessoriesKlein Agency

Foodservice DesignKRB Specialists

StructuralEnglekirkPartners

MEPDesign-Build

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