From its prominent urban corner in Hollywood, Liberation Coffee House is the public face of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s new Anita May Rosenstein Campus. Much more than a coffee house, it is a profitable social enterprise that diverts 100% of its revenue into the center’s life-saving programs. It is also run by graduates of the center’s culinary arts program, which helps prepare LGBTQ+ youth and seniors for employment opportunities.

Founded in 1969, the center serves more than 50,000 clients with health and social services, housing support, and advocacy work across 10 locations in the city. The Anita May Rosenstein Campus was completed in 2019 and includes a youth center and academy, career center, senior center, and a dorm for the unhoused. The new coffee house serves as an important bridge between the center and its vital programming.

Liberation Coffee House
 Eric Staudenmaier
View from the entrance, looking toward a variety of café seating

The coffee house’s bright and airy interior is appealing to patrons of all ages, welcoming them with an array of comfortable seating options that support work and socialization. Inspired by the bold colors and sense of movement that dominate the late Keith Haring’s artworks and the composition of the pride flag, the coffee house is a welcoming space for all and a reflection of how far the LGBTQ+ community has advanced in its fight for equality. 

Its primary design element is a series of overlapping sheer fabric panels that bathe the space with a gradient of color reminiscent of a California sunset. The panels, composed of affordable fabrics sourced from minority-owned businesses, also reduce solar heat gain and soften views to the outside. They are simple to install, so the staff can maintain and update the panels easily.

Since opening, the project has become a sanctuary for the community, offering those seeking help a safe space to explore the center’s services while experiencing some of its programs in action. Despite the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the coffee house has trained a dozen students in the culinary program and hosted numerous revenue-generating events, ranging from musical performances to private dinners.

The design has helped attract a diverse patron base, with repeat customers from nearby apartments, Hollywood studios, and businesses who appreciate that their purchases directly support center programming. As a whole, the coffee house’s design strategies have shaped a project that belies its limited budget and stands as a model for similar centers across the country. 

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