Christie's Auction House

Christie’s is the world's leading art business and had global auction and private sales in 2009 of $3.3 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful.

Recognizing the extraordinary potential of the West Coast for estate sales, specialty automotive, jewelry, wine and designer goods, Christie’s decided to establish a West Coast Regional Headquarters and Auction House in Beverly Hills. They approached KAA to design the facility to represent the marriage of the company's four century history and European roots within the relatively young but vibrant local community and context. Christie's specifically asked KAA to take them through the vision and story-telling process that would result in a timeless example of Southern California design - reflecting their commitment to a business model that focuses on longevity, history and authenticity. 

An existing 8,000 sq. ft. building, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, was fully renovated to house Christie's needs for on-site auctions, customer relations, and administration headquarters.  To meet market demand, the entire project was designed and constructed in 13 months and won several design awards including Beverly Hills' own Building of the Year Architecture Citation.