Program: 350 sf Retail Coffee Kiosk / Urban Landmark

Location: West Hollywood, California, USA

Architect: Synthesis Design + Architecture

Client: Kings Road Coffee

Developer: OBP Development

Status: In Construction; anticipated completion 2026

Melrose Jewel Box is a 350-square-foot sculptural coffee kiosk at 8500 Melrose in West Hollywood. Conceived as a prismatic urban artifact, the project transforms a compact commercial program into a courtyard landmark through computation, craft, and light.

The design employs a CNC-milled folded Corian shell clad in prismatic glass panels, creating a crystalline form that refracts and reflects light. By day, its surfaces reveal depth, geometry, and precision; by night, integrated LED lighting transforms the kiosk into a glowing lantern visible from Melrose Avenue. The structural challenge of building over an existing parking deck required lightweight fabrication and formal efficiency, shaping the project’s compact elegance.

Environmental strategies are layered into the design despite its small footprint. A green roof softens the urban edge and absorbs runoff, greywater reuse reduces demand on infrastructure, and natural ventilation is integrated through concealed operable systems. These measures reinforce the kiosk’s identity as a crafted, high-performance object rather than a conventional commercial concession.

The project extends SDA’s research into how small typologies can act as laboratories for innovation. It demonstrates that computation and fabrication can enrich micro-architecture with complexity, symbolism, and delight—redefining a coffee kiosk as a landmark of craft, technology, and urban presence.

Awards: 2025 AIA Los Angeles Design Awards, NEXT LA Award; 2025 Architizer Vision Awards Special Mention — Vision for Retail & Hospitality