Hollywood & Highland Is Getting a New Name, an Art Deco Makeover, and Office Space

Tinseltown's most tourist-happy shopping hub and beloved awards venue is getting a makeover. Hollywood & Highland is swapping its anachronistic Babylonian-Egyptian façade in favor of decidedly more timeless Art Deco look as part of a $100 million makeover — and it's getting a new name, too.

Home to the Dolby Theatre and TCL Chinese Theatre (previously Grauman's), the 475,000-square-foot entertainment complex was acquired by San Jose-based DJM Capital and Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital last year and will be renamed Ovation Hollywood. The new owners have tapped renowned design firm Gensler to reimagine the popular five-story property, which has hosted to the Academy Awards (and undoubtedly caused many a "dude,where the eff-is-my-car" adventures in its labyrinth-like parking structure).

Construction is set to kick off later this year, and the new look is expected to be unveiled in late 2021, according to a release. The center's top two floors will be converted into about 100,000 square feet of office space geared for creative industries, while the lower three floors —or 150,000 square feet — will be dedicated to dining, retail, and entertainment space. Forty thousand square feet will be devoted to event space.

The al fresco mall's four-story center court features a full-scale replica of the fictional film set in D.W. Griffith's 1916 movie, Intolerance. That massive gateway will be replaced by an arched structure with Old Hollywood-inspired touches. California artist Geoff McFetridge (who's dreamed up work for the likes of Warby Parker and Vans) will dream up a mural to give visitors a red carpet-inspired experience: The arch's interior will feature a crowd giving a standing ovation opposite of a wall of photographers.

The center's stairway entrance at Hollywood Boulevard will also be revamped by way of more greenery, murals, and sculptures. The "dead and outdated" Awards Walk area will get more outdoor bistro seating and open-air bars. Topping off the redesign is a massive marquee sign inspired by vintage Hollywood neon signs and sleek new digital billboards.

The directory will also get an upgrade; current tenants include big-name mall retailers and dining chains including Sephora, Forever 21, Hard Rock Cafe, Victoria's Secret, Walgreens, California Pizza Kitchen, Dave & Buster's, and Johnny Rockets, among others.

The center first opened in 2001 and the property was previously the site of the iconic Hollywood Hotel. Owner Gaw Capital also owns other L.A. architectural icons, including the Roosevelt Hotel down the street and DTLA's Bradbury Building (which also underwent an office-friendly upgrade).

Scroll through the gallery above for more photos, and stay tuned for more.

Ovation Hollywood, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 90028