Facing an accelerated schedule and working with a 30-year-old building that had been vacant for seven years, the 160-member project team created a state-of-the-art, 85,000-sq-ft headquarters for Paradigm Talent Agency in just five months, beginning with gutting the entire facility.

The centerpiece of the interior is a one-of-a-kind curved staircase that spans three stories. Construction of the staircase began with ground-penetrating radar to ensure that concrete slabs were clear of any obstructions. The staircase’s layout was completed on the first floor, with working points transferred to the second and third floors.

Also included in the building are a 49-seat screening room, a pair of meeting rooms with curved glass walls and multiple listening rooms and voice-over booths. The screening room was designed to run movies for test audiences.

An adjacent green room allows directors to enter through a separate door and observe the audience’s reaction via television monitors.

The design called for glass walls in the agency’s contract signing room, keeping office workers abreast of when clients sign with Paradigm. The room is enclosed entirely in glass, so electrical and power systems normally placed in walls had to be installed in the floor and ceiling.

Because the project is located in the heart of a residential area, logistical challenges included strict working hours and closely controlled noise levels.

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