Ovation Hollywood
Los Angeles, CA
2022
by DJM Capital Partners
A well known, but unclear property identity, renovated from the ground up —
a full rebrand, new wayfinding, and a central courtyard designed as the real destination at a world-famous location.
The Problem :
The identity of the property, formerly known as Hollywood & Highland since 2001,
was always unclear and its longstanding reputation was working against its success modern day.
Wayfinding and navigation were consistently the top complaint from visitors,
and the retail and dining mix needed to evolve to match how people actually wanted to spend time on site, specifically offering visitors more than generic brand names.
A landmark with an identity problem
With wayfinding as visitors' top complaint
and no clear identity tying the property together, the plan centered on a full rebrand
and a central courtyard redesigned as the property's real destination
and activity hub that would supply visitor traffic for all surrounding tenants.
The
: Strategy
Rebrand it,
& re-anchor
it around
the courtyard
Repainted Exterior
&
Redesigned Entrance
The property's exterior received
a complete repaint to catch pedestrians' eyes along Hollywood Boulevard.
From there, a redesigned Grand Stair welcomed people in with a clear pedestrian corridor complimented with new lighting, signage, restaurants, and landscaping all visually signaling that there was more adventure inside the complex waiting to be explored.
The Improvements:
A new identity, food-hall energy,
& a courtyard worth visiting
Where there used to be concrete,
the central courtyard now opens onto
a giant grass lawn, with games,
tables, chairs, and seating throughout.
New built-in infrastructure supports events, and the courtyard now runs a regular calendar of programming.
A Courtyard Welcoming to All
New Wayfinding Throughout
A new wayfinding system was installed
to help visitors find their way around the property — directly addressing what had been visitors' most common complaint while directing +20 million visitors per year to explore tenants on every level throughout the complex.
A variety of local specialty
food & beverage vendors
were arranged across
the property's two main levels of retail space, creating a food hall-style destination
effect throughout the property, attracting most visitors directly, while indirectly benefitting all neighboring tenants throughout the center.
A Food Hall-Style Dining Lineup
The Results:
An unforgettable experience at an iconic destination
The rebrand gave the property a clear, cohesive identity for the first time, and the new wayfinding system directly resolved visitors' most common frustration.
A repainted exterior and a redesigned Grand Stair now draw people in from Hollywood Boulevard,
and the central courtyard — now open grass, seating, and a regular calendar of programming —
has become the property's crown jewel and most active gathering space.
A varied roster of local food & beverage tenants, including Win-Dow, La Popular, Oakberry, Tacos Neza,
Seasoning Alley, and Bopomofo, opened across the property's two retail levels and found an audience,
giving the property the food-hall energy it was missing while driving foot traffic as much as they drive revenue.
