Aero Collective's recent architectural design for Vandell has just been recognized by the Los Angeles Times as the city's hottest bar of 2026. Overseen by AERO COLLECTIVE partner, Brion Moran, the Los Feliz destination functions as both an urban biography and a California fantasia, marrying ground-level mechanical efficiency with rich, localized storytelling.

For AERO COLLECTIVE, the project began with a related architectural question: How do you create a place that feels new without feeling unfamiliar?

The answer was not to recreate a particular period, but to build a space from layers of Los Angeles history.

Transforming a modest footprint on Hillhurst Avenue into a highly functional, blue-chip gathering place required precise spatial planning. The wood-paneled interior layout revolves around an anchoring 30-foot bar, branching out into three distinct, intimately scaled rooms. Each of these three spaces is uniquely decorated and specifically lighted, allowing the venue to comfortably absorb four-deep crowds of patrons. The architectural flow ensures the environment remains warmly stylish and swank, yet never deafening or stuffy.

Every corner of Vandell features aesthetic intricacies and textures that celebrate classic Los Angeles. Above the red oak-framed bar, a custom mural by artist Molly Bounds depicts Griffith Park in pastoral, sepia-toned scenes, complete with a subtle Looney Tunes reference pointing geographically toward Hollywood. The central, booth-lined room carries this mood further with etched, moody illustrations of palm trees and recognizable local fauna along the walls. Moving into the cloistered, half-lighted far-back nook behind the bar, the design pays quiet homage to the 104-year-old Tam O'Shanter on Los Feliz Boulevard. Here, a vintage portrait of John Wayne and a Mickey Mouse hand lamp sconce nod directly to the legendary figures who once frequented the neighborhood.

This thoughtful integration of art, texture, and history ensures the space feels comprehensively time-full rather than just timeless. We are immensely proud to see Vandell celebrated not merely as a fresh neighborhood establishment, but as an exceptional, L.A.-specific environment built for the long run.

Vandell: Designing a New Los Angeles Classic

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