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Manhattan architect breezes into Century City
by Dan Bialek
If it weren't for Manhattan Beach resident Stephen Francis Jones, Wolfgang Puck would be selling his pasta dishes in the street.
Well, not exactly, but the young architect did design Puck's most famous eatery, the world renowned Spago.
"Spago was a big feather in my cap, and I think that it was my lucky break. It was my branch out project that allowed me to start my own business. Once you start doing that level of restaurant, other restaurateurs are more apt to hire you," says Jones.
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Concept drawing of Stephen Francis
Jones' most elaborate restaurant to date - The Breeze in Century City.
Courtesy of SFJones Architects Inc.
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After Spago, he designed other eye-pleasing and innovative restaurants and bars, including Hamasaku, one of the Westside's most popular sushi restaurants, the Sunset Strip's ultraslick Barfly, and the Chinois restaurant at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Jones is also the designer for The Daily Grill, in charge of expanding the popular restaurant into posh hotels across the country.
He has also collaborated with Puck on several other ventures. Most recently he designed the kitchen at the Academy Awards building, home to the famed Oscar Ceremonies and Governor's Ball.
These days, Jones is undertaking his largest project yet --multi-million dollar renovations to the Century Plaza Spa and Resort, including a new restaurant, The Breeze.
"It's a departure from the rest of the resort. The idea is that it is a stand-alone restaurant that happens to be in a hotel," says Jones.
The materials used evoke images of a wind-swept landscape in keeping with The Breeze's airy them. The dining room features a terrazzo floor pattern that gives the impression of sand being blown by a gentle wind, as well as a ceiling spine consisting of laminated glass with a rice paper-like material that resembles swaying grass.
With his offices based in nearby Marina Del Rey, Jones bicycles to work from his Manhattan Beach home and spends his mornings at the UCLA Rowing Center in Marina Del Rey.
"My bicycle and rowing time is very therapeutic. It gives me the opportunity to think, plan my day, maybe even work over some design problems that I'm facing. In fact, some of my best solutions come from the time I spend on my bike or in the water," he says.
Jones says that he really appreciates living in Manhattan Beach because it gives him the chance to enjoy his life and have a sense of balance that can be difficult to achieve in today's culture.
"I live in Manhattan Beach and I picked my office to be here in Marina Del Rey because I can ride my bike to work. I think it's about lifestyle and choices, and how you want to live. I'm very fortunate that I've been able to do what I'm doing. I think that too many people get caught up in trying to succeed without enjoying what they're doing," he says.
When asked whether he would ever consider moving to a big city like New York or Chicago where great architects are given celebrity status, Jones says no way.
"Not a chance, I love living in Manhattan Beach," he concludes.
ER