On a stretch of 15th Street and Maple where garment racks move past loading docks and production hums through concrete corridors, a new form of cultural infrastructure is taking shape. Future Factory, a 60,000-square-foot campus in Downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, is being developed by serial entrepreneur Paul Hemming, the force behind the Zen Compound model in San Francisco and Denver. Opening in 2026, the project spans five buildings and three outdoor spaces—designed not as a single venue, but as a fully integrated ecosystem for art, music, technology, and community.
“What I’ve always wanted to build is not a venue—but an ecosystem,” Hemming says. “In San Francisco and Denver, we proved that nightlife and high art can live in the same conversation. But we were still working within the constraints of single buildings. Here in Los Angeles, with five buildings and three outdoor spaces, we can finally create a fully immersive campus where art, music, technology, and community aren’t adjacent—they’re integrated.”
From Zen Compound to Future Factory
Hemming’s blueprint was first tested through Temple Nightclub and Mirus Art Gallery—two distinct concepts operating under one roof. Temple delivered immersive, technology-forward nightlife. Mirus anchored the compound with contemporary art exhibitions and cultural programming. Together, they functioned as gathering grounds for artists, musicians, and audiences who moved fluidly between energy and reflection.
“Zen Compound taught us that audiences are more fluid than the industry gives them credit for,” Hemming says. “The same person who wants to dance at 11 p.m. might want to engage with contemporary art at 7 p.m. The division between high-energy entertainment and thoughtful cultural engagement is artificial.”
Future Factory scales that philosophy across multiple structures rather than a single address, allowing simultaneous programming without fragmentation. At full build-out, the 60,000-square-foot complex will include five dedicated performance spaces, an art gallery, creative studios, a wellness center, retail components including a record and clothing store, multiple bars, a café, and food concepts distributed across the property. The layout encourages movement as ritual—patrons transition between sound, light, art, and gathering spaces rather than remaining fixed in one room.
Outdoor programming anchors the experience. A central courtyard will host live performances and communal gatherings, reinforcing Hemming’s belief that culture thrives in shared air, not just enclosed walls. Multiple levels across the campus are designed to support character performers and interactive elements, ensuring that the act of moving through the property becomes part of the narrative.
Technology Designed for Presence, Not Spectacle
Temple became known for immersive sound design and interactive systems. At Future Factory, Hemming describes technology as connective tissue rather than decoration.
“Technology should be invisible in its impact and powerful in its outcome,” he says. “If people leave feeling more connected—to each other, to art, to the space—then the technology has done its job.”
The emphasis is on responsive environments, integrated design systems, and cross-disciplinary collaboration—tools that heighten presence rather than distract from it. For more than a decade, Hemming has argued that profitability and high art are not opposing forces. In Los Angeles—where entertainment often skews transactional—Future Factory is positioned as long-term cultural infrastructure rather than a short-lived concept.
“The mistake is chasing scale before substance,” Hemming says. “For us, the soul comes first. Programming is curated intentionally. Partnerships are aligned with the ethos. Growth happens as a byproduct of resonance, not hype.”
The official opening date remains fluid, with a 2026 launch window confirmed.
For more information about Paul Hemming and his project, Click Here
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of Future Factory
