The project called for the design of a next-generation creative workplace capable of accommodating three distinct studio cultures while establishing a unified campus identity. The design needed to support highly technical production workflows—including animation, visual effects, and post-production—while simultaneously creating inspiring environments that encourage collaboration, exchange, and creative energy.

A central challenge was balancing autonomy and connection: developing character-driven spaces that reflect each division’s identity while organizing shared amenities that bring teams together. The campus was envisioned as a sequence of immersive environments—blending technology, storytelling, and hospitality to create a workplace that functions as both production infrastructure and creative hub.

The design establishes a cohesive animation campus that unfolds as a series of character-driven spaces inspired by cinematic storytelling. Rich material textures, sculptural geometries, and curated landscapes create immersive environments that support both focused production and collective experience. 

Shared gathering spaces anchor the campus, including an indoor-outdoor dining room, an elevated coffee bar, a wellness room, and a 146-seat Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision theater that serves as a central venue for screenings and events. These shared amenities act as connective tissue between the three divisions, fostering interaction and strengthening a unified creative culture.

Advanced post-production facilities—including voiceover studios, edit bays, motion capture rooms, and screening suites—are seamlessly integrated with collaborative workspaces and restorative environments. The result is a dynamic creative ecosystem where technical precision and artistic expression operate together, positioning the campus as a center for storytelling, innovation, and the future of media production.

“Three creative cultures, one shared campus—designed to balance identity, collaboration, and innovation.”

Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Crunchyroll—three global leaders in animation, visual effects, and anime content—sought to consolidate their Los Angeles operations into a unified headquarters within the cultural corridor of the Miracle Mile. Each division operates with distinct creative processes and production methodologies: animation development and storytelling, advanced visual effects and digital production, and global anime streaming and distribution.

The client’s ambition was to bring these complementary disciplines under one roof while preserving their individual identities. The project aimed to create a shared creative ecosystem that supports specialized production environments alongside campus-wide amenities that foster collaboration, innovation, and a cohesive studio culture.

The work presented here was completed during Andy Lantz’s tenure at RIOS where he led the practice as Global Creative Director & CEO. This project is a demonstration of that leadership either through the active participation in a paid commission with a client or the efforts associated with an invited or open competition.

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Project Team:

Andy Lantz, Sunay Rajbhandri, Kanoa San Miguel, Jin Tack Lim, Preema Modi, Ying Song, Jordan Micham, Irvin Shaifa, Anisa Aboutalebpour, Ankita Cogne, Marco Lam, Michael Hua, Dami Olufowoshe, Debo Adenyi, Natsuki Matsumoto, Stephanie Mejia, Zehra Rizvi, Lea Romano, Rachel Lee, Kyle Stuart-Willis, Jeff Banner, Jonah Klinghoffer, Nate Waddell, Robin Kim, Bingqian Dong, Clarissa Lee, Katerina Starikova, Heather McGinn, Emil Metzger, Aditya Jagdale, Brenda Chavez, Andres Montemayor, and Kelly Peoples

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Photography by Pavel Bendov.