Checker Hall — Los Angeles, USA

Thirty-five years after the last secret handshake was exchanged, Highland Park’s landmark Masonic Lodge has been given a new lease of life as a theatre and performing arts venue.
The LA-based studio Design, Bitches has been careful to preserve original features of the 1923 Renaissance Revival-styled block – a stone’s throw from stained glass specialists Judson Studios and Lummis House – not least the ornamental chandeliers and cherry wood panels. However, it’s their intervention in the restaurant that really catches the eye.
Here, Kvadrat-upholstered banquettes, Maharam Checker fabric and Timorous Beasties Thistle wallpaper are a subtle nod to the building’s past, while Thonet ‘Era’ chairs and Normann Copenhagen ‘Form’ bar-stools alongside a Negro Marquina marble bar top add a jolt of modernity. Executive chef Hovig Agop’s rustic Mediterranean menu, meanwhile, flirts between grilled octopus on a bed of labneh, and a mizuna salad of tangerines and lentils warmed with citrus vinaigrette.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
104 N Avenue 56
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’
The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Marta Pan and André Wogenscky's legacy is alive through their modernist home in France
Fondation Marta Pan – André Wogenscky: how a creative couple’s sculptural masterpiece in France keeps its authors’ legacy alive
By Adam Štěch Published
-
A Dubai ‘sky palace’ debuts developer Omniyat’s new Bespoke category
Omniyat Bespoke, the developer’s new ultra-luxury arm, launches with the Luna Sky Palace penthouse at Orla, Dorchester Collection
By Simon Mills Published
-
New York’s only revolving restaurant is back in action
Located inside the New York Marriott Marquis, The View Restaurant and Lounge reopens following a 360 refresh courtesy of The Rockwell Group
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
An Upper East Side townhouse is transformed into a chic French bistro
At Chez Fifi, Sweden’s Joyn Studio has created an elevated setting that transports diners to 1930s Paris
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Granger Hotel: an intimate, maximalist charmer in San Diego
Set in the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Granger Hotel is an oasis of design blending history with modernity
By Chadner Navarro Published
-
West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsical
Chef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
By Carole Dixon Published
-
A local’s guide to Los Angeles by defiant artist Fawn Rogers
Oregon-born, LA-based artist Fawn Rogers gives us a personal tour of her adopted city as it hosts its sixth edition of Frieze
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gusto
Conceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Enchanting culinary entertainment awaits at this fine dining restaurant in Santa Monica
Chef Dave Beran returns to his fine dining origins with Seline on Main Street, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli
By Carole Dixon Published
-
New York restaurant Manuela masters the art of contemporary dining
The latest restaurant from Hauser & Wirth’s hospitality arm, Manuela offers a masterclass in nourishing connections
By Dan Howarth Published