Fairmont Century Plaza, formerly The Century Plaza Hotel, is a Los Angeles landmark. Opening on June 1, 1966, in the Century City neighborhood of LA, it was the backlot of 20th Century Fox Studios and home to movie stars, producers, and executives. The arc-shaped, 19-story, 750-room Minoru Yamasaki-designed hotel was the centerpiece of Century City, known for many modern and high-tech features such as central air, electric blankets, ice machines, and color televisions in all of its rooms. The rich history of the Fairmont Century Plaza lives on, being inducted into Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Design firm Yabu Pushelberg has reimagined architect Minoru Yamasaki's mid-century masterpiece for a new era. The landmark Century Plaza Hotel reopened as a Fairmont Century Plaza, with a roster of 351 rooms and 49 suites, and a new, guests-only rooftop pool with a bar on the 17th floor. RIOS, a landscape architecture firm based in Los Angeles, was tasked with the renovations of the iconic hotel including the rooftop bar.

A New Era of Luxury
The development's landscape design featured such items and areas as bike racks, a barbecue area, a yoga meditation lawn, two dog parks, water features, a dining terrace, a reading garden, and an event garden. Specializing in a European style of architectural paving products, Tile Tech was chosen for their premium porcelain pavers and living plant systems for elevated deck and on-grade applications. A pedestal system was needed to accommodate guests and residents upon the 4,000-square-foot Fairmont Century rooftop pool, in addition to providing the structural strength to accommodate over 200 guests for reception-style events. The porcelain pavers were chosen for their ability to withstand 2,000 pounds of weight per slab.

 
The porcelain pavers had the added advantage of anti-slip properties, a significant benefit for wet areas such as pool decks. The nonporous nature also means that they never need to be re-sealed to prevent staining and other damage. In the rare case of spills or accidents, porcelain is extremely easy to clean and is one of the most low-maintenance exterior flooring options.

Travertine tan and gray stone porcelain pavers were chosen for the rooftop pool's adjacent outdoor bar, ??ESTA!, located on the north side and fire pit lounge areas. To honor the original design of the site, water features, fountains, pools, and gardens were also added. Synthetic turf and a turf tray system on the south side were added for a low-maintenance focal point within the 8,000-square-foot luxury outdoor hospitality experience.

The pavers replicate the soft and light sophisticated appearance of a natural travertine stone without the maintenance and upkeep required for natural stone travertine. They were specified because they are resistant to external abrasion and can withstand scratching even with steel tools. This unique combination of durability and toughness made porcelain pavers a superior choice for the Fairmont Century Plaza project.

Project Challenges
The superintendent for DTS Company enthusiastically said, "We had challenges with the elevation changes, but the shims and articulating heads of the pedestal system made leveling easy. Additionally, the wind-uplift system locked the trays down tight, preventing horizontal and vertical movement."

Sustainability
The entire renovation project of the former Century Plaza Hotel was focused on sustainable practices. The Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, including ??ESTA!, is LEED Silver certified because of its environmentally sound practices including, water-efficient designs, recycling practices, and composting programs.

Plantings were selected in accordance with the Greening Plan for Century City. The plan was developed in the 2000s to create a better pedestrian experience, especially on the Western edge of LA. With that in mind, the design team selected the plants to create a seamless design from the cityscape to the rooftop.

A runoff system is used to collect, store, and reuse water throughout the hotel's water features including, fountains, pools, and gardens. The system includes underground cisterns that feed water throughout the site.

The design team was proud to be a part of this iconic luxury hotel redesign and looks forward to seeing the future of the site.