Bond Collective | Downtown LA

Some buildings are too good to abandon.

The Desmond Building on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles is one of them.

Designed in 1924 by legendary Los Angeles architect Albert C. Martin, the building’s first chapter was Desmond’s, a luxury department store that anchored the Broadway corridor as one of DTLA’s premier retail destinations. An example of Spanish Baroque Revival architecture, the facade features cast terracotta columns that climb several stories, narrow balconies, and an ornamental pediment crowning the roofline.

As the decades passed and Los Angeles suburbanized, the flagship store closed its doors in 1981. With no clear vision for its future, the building sat vacant for years.

Historic photograph of the Desmond Building on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. — The Desmond Building during its early years.

Historic Desmond Building facade in Downtown Los Angeles featuring restored terracotta detailing, balconies, and Spanish Baroque Revival architecture. — Restored Terracotta Facade.

The Renovation

In 2020, historic preservation architecture firm Omgivning led a $12 million adaptive reuse transformation of the Desmond Building. The scope was ambitious: fully restore the historic terracotta facade, convert the interior into 85,000 square feet of mixed-use tenant space, and add a 7th and 8th floor to accommodate a rooftop bar and restaurant. The same year, the building was designated a Los Angeles Cultural Historic Monument.

Among the project's major tenants was Bond Collective, a national coworking operator, which selected the restored building for its Los Angeles coworking location.

Historic lobby and event space at Bond Collective Los Angeles featuring Carrara and Ming Green marble checkerboard flooring within the restored Desmond Building. — Carrara and Ming Green marble checkerboard flooring anchors Bond Collective's lobby and event space.

Bond Collective’s Interior

Guided by Omgivning’s preservation-minded approach, the Bond Collective’s in-house interior design team developed lounges, workspaces, kitchens, and conference rooms that complement the building’s existing architecture rather than overwrite it.

DDS supplied stone and tile throughout Bond Collective's five floors, supporting an interior palette that draws on the building's restored architecture.

Ornamental wrought-iron railing and marble staircase preserved within Bond Collective's adaptive reuse of the historic Desmond Building in Downtown Los Angeles. — Restored ornamental plasterwork paired with Carrara and Ming Green marble.

Pendant light featuring a carved Ming Green marble finial inside Bond Collective's restored Desmond Building workspace. — Custom Ming Green marble finial detail on a pendant light fixture.

In the expansive event and lobby space, marble checkerboard floors were laid using light and elegant Carrara and Ming Green Marble. The pattern references the building’s character while brightening the massive room. DDS also supplied decorative natural stone details, including Ming Green light fixture finials that help tie the material palette together.

Handcrafted-inspired Cev Provencial tile installed in bathrooms. — Bathroom finished with blue-gray glazed ceramic wall tile from the Cev Provencial collection.

Bathroom featuring warm brown glazed ceramic wall tile from the Cev Provencial collection. — Warm brown transparent glaze wall tile paired with checkerboard floor tile.

In the bathrooms, walls are clad in Cev Provencial glazed ceramic tile in Kiwi, Pinky Swear, and Gris Claro. Imported from Spain, Cev Provencial pairs rustic edges with colorful transparent glazes that highlight the tile's handcrafted look.

Accessible restroom featuring glossy blue-gray Cev Provencial ceramic wall tile and black-and-white checkerboard flooring at Bond Collective Los Angeles.

Bond Collective restroom featuring glossy blue-gray Cev Provencial ceramic wall tile and black-and-white checkerboard flooring at Bond Collective Los Angeles.

Black and white Ravenna Appia tile in black and white carries the checkerboard motif into the bathrooms, creating a connection to the lobby and event spaces.

Recognition

The project received the 2023 AIA Los Angeles Merit Award for Reuse, Renovation, and Historic Preservation Design, recognizing the thoughtful adaptation of a historic Los Angeles landmark for contemporary use.

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