A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition

By Editorial Staff - 23 September 2025

Just a stone’s throw from the vibrant Venice Beach Boardwalk in California, the Bauhaus-inspired The Lighthouse creative campus is devoted to creatives and artists. Conceived as a kind of creative playground, with state-of-the-art production studios, career-development programs, and arts and social programming, the center is intended to serve as a workspace but also as an incubator for ideas, culture, and innovation, where creatives of every discipline can meet, learn, share, and grow together.

The interior design project, which took 18 months and was led by Warkentin Associates, transformed what was a 1939 post office – originally built as part of the Works Progress Administration – into a modern creative hub. The result is a space that balances historic conservation and innovation, redefining work and communal spaces in a building that blends historic-industrial design with brutalist architectural influences. It draws inspiration from figures such as Le Corbusier and from Japanese libraries like the Ōita Library, designed by Arata Isozaki. It functions as a dynamic cultural and arts center, known for its eclectic arts scene and bohemian spirit. It comprises art studios, galleries, creative spaces, and a wide range of culinary offerings.

Un hub creativo ispirato al Bauhaus | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy Warkentin Associates Il piano interrato ospita gli studi di produzione e la cucina, allestita con tavoli dove è possibile condividere i pasti, occasioni di convivialità per eccellenza.

The Lighthouse occupies 2,090 sq. m across two levels. On the main level are open-plan areas, private offices, meeting rooms, coworking spaces, a café, and a hall for conferences, screenings, and performances that seats over 70 people. At basement level are podcast booths, photo studios, test kitchens, and analog music suites. Each space is designed to encourage interaction and teamwork, with lounge areas within work zones and a vibrant café serving as breakout areas.

Un hub creativo ispirato al Bauhaus © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy Warkentin Associates

Interiors are designed to combine analog and digital spaces, using exposed materials – metal, wood, and concrete – paired with glass and enriched by splashes of color added by custom furnishings, pendant lamps inspired by Achille Castiglioni, and lighting installations by designer Brian Thoreen. The color palette is simple and functional, with muted green shades used for private office partitions, creating bright spaces on the main level and a more industrial atmosphere in the basement.

Jon Goss and Nathan Warkentin, founders of The Lighthouse and Warkentin Associates respectively, collaborated to create a space that encourages knowledge sharing and co-creation, designing a creative ecosystem where innovation and community converge under one roof. Their vision is a campus that serves as the start of an international network of creative hubs, with future openings planned in London and at the historic Greenpoint Pencil Factory in Brooklyn.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | Expansive windows paired with a muted color palette create a light-filled, inviting interior. The industrial style combines with brutalist influences to create a stimulating setting inspired by Bauhaus principles.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | Designed to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, The Lighthouse integrates breakout areas and a vibrant café, where artists can meet and share ideas and projects.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | The historic Venice post office has been reimagined by redefining its workspaces but preserving signs of the building’s original use.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | The basement houses production studios as well as a community kitchen with tables, making it an ideal setting for social interaction.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | On the ground level, a hall seating over 70 people hosts conferences, screenings, and performances as a cultural hub for the community.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | Next to the reception counter, a site-specific light sculpture by Brian Thoreen illuminates the entire space.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | Mainly custom made furniture paired with muted green office partitions lend a sense of warmth to the space.

A Creative Hub in the Bauhaus Tradition | © Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates | With state-of-the-art production studios, career-development pathways, and a calendar of arts and community events, this creative playground serves as an innovative hub that supports artists’ development.

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Client: The Lighthouse
Completion: 2025
Gross Floor Area: 2,092 m²
nterior Designer: Warkentin Associates
Main Contractor: JT Magen
Architect of Record: Jan Van Dijs

Consultants
Structural: Nous Engineering
Lighting: Map Design Studio
MEP: Engineous Group
Acoustics: Newson Brown Acoustics
Landscape: Hatch Architecture

Photography: Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Warkentin Associates

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