Memphis Exhibition Honors Paul Revere Williams, Architect to the Stars
Marina del Rey Junior High School (David Horan)
Love Lucy? Lucille Ball, that is. Then you’ll love her architect, too. Opening on October 22, the Art Museum of the University of Memphis is hosting the first museum exhibition of African-American architect Paul Revere Williams whose work spans the 1920s through the 1960s.
Say Goodbye To The Pugh in Pugh+Scarpa
Pugh+Scarpa's Cherokee Lofts
AN has just learned that Gwynne Pugh of well-known Santa Monica firm Pugh + Scarpa has decided to leave the firm to start his own company, Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio. Pugh and Lawrence Scarpa have led the firm for the past 22 years—Pugh actually hired Scarpa in the ’80s. Pugh’s new company, which “specializes in the design of structures, urban design, planning, sustainability, and consultation to companies and public entities,” launched on September 1. In 2011, firm principal (and Scarpa’s wife) Angela Brooks, who now runs Pugh+Scarpa’s sustainable development department, will be elevated to principal-in-charge, precipitating a new firm name: Brooks+Scarpa. The firm would not comment on the changes (and Pugh’s profile is already off the firm’s site), but we will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
Freeway Parks Are Everywhere
Margaret T. Hance Deck Park in Phoenix
According to a story in Governing Magazine, while LA is only dreaming of building its freeway cap parks, several US cities are either planning or have completed their own. Dallas’ 5.2-acre park over its Woodall Rodgers Freeway downtown will be done by 2012. Other cities that have completed decked freeway parks include Boston (the Big Dig of course!), Phoenix, Seattle, Trenton, N.J., and Duluth, Minnesota. And besides LA Cincinnati and St. Louis are also proposing deck parks. While quite expensive, the article points out, the parks help knit cities back together, provide valuable civic space, are built on free land, and send adjacent property values skyrocketing. In short: Let’s Do This People!! Pix of more parks can be seen here: Read More
An Omen For DS+R?
DS+R's Charles Renfro on the Red Carpet (actually the "white" carpet, since Crest was the sponsor).
The red carpet is not a place where architects usually spend their time. But on Sunday Diller Scofidio + Renfro took home a Breakthrough Award, for their work in architecture. The prizes, handed out at the Pacific Design Center (AN was there believe it or not..) went to emerging performers like The Kids Are Alright’s Josh Hutcherson (Actor in Film) and Modern Family’s Sophia Vergara (Actress in TV). So how did Architecture wind up on the roster? “We’ve noticed that architects are starting to be known by name again,” said Jan Hall, Marketing Director for MMC, which runs the competition. On Monday, we’ll find out if DS+R win Eli Broad’s coveted new museum commission downtown. If they do, they’ll no doubt catapult into the elite starchitect sphere… Perhaps this is a harbinger of things to come?
Another Sad Day For LA Architecture
” John Chase, at left, with Frances Anderton, Clive Wilkinson, and friend
We’re still reeling from the tragic death of Stephen Kanner, and now we have learned that two more of LA’s brightest lights, Elaine Jones and John Chase, have also died. Jones was A. Quincy Jones’ widow, and Chase was the urban designer for the City of West Hollywood. Both were valuable advocates for architecture and good friends. We’re still gathering information and will get it to you as soon as we can.
Floating Creatures Descend on LA
Back in April we took a sneak peak at CO Architects’ $107 million renovation of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s 1913 building. The project is finally done, and includes major seismic and structural upgrades, new exhibit installation, as well as the uncovering of original details like the ceramic-tiled exterior dome; an original stained glass skylight; and original marble walls. The museum re-opened a couple weeks ago, but only now released a whole batch of great pictures (courtesy of Tom Bonner). And they’re worth looking at. We especially appreciate the floating dinosaurs animals hung from the ceiling via carefully placed wires just below large skylights. Enjoy! Read More
LA Breaking Ground on New Front Lawn
(courtesy Rios Clementi Hale)
A ceremonial groundbreaking for a $56 million downtown LA Civic Center park will be held on Thursday, July 15 at 9 a.m. Designed by Rios Clementi Hale, the 12-acre park is located between the LA County Music Center and City Hall and is set to be completed in 2012. Tomorrow’s festivities will include cooking demonstrations, yoga, music, art, storytelling and education on drought-tolerant plants–activities which demonstrate ways the park will be used by the community in two years. Read More
The Green Hive Looks for Its Sweet Spot in LA
Rendering of the Green Hive's now-cancelled new space
Last month we learned that the Green Hive, a non-profit supporting green building and eco-friendly ideas, was kicked out of its future home in Downtown LA by the LA Community College District. So we were wondering: What are they doing now? Read More
Broad Museum Leak Number 100: Diller Scofidio + Renfro?
Diller Scofidio + Renfro's Alice Tully Hall redesign
In a selection process with more leaks than the Titanic (or, ahem, the Gulf of Mexico) the LA Times reports (thanks to a number of anonymous sources) that Eli Broad is favoring Diller Scofidio + Renfro for his new contemporary art museum. In a previous leak the Times reported the narrowing of firms to Diller Scofidio and Rem Koolhaas’s OMA. This of course follows the leak that we first reported in March: that Broad was favoring downtown for the museum instead of Santa Monica. Of course none of this is official. In fact Broad hasn’t even formally announced a shortlist or a location. And he’s still waiting for city approval to lease the Bunker Hill site for $1 per year for 99 years (the LA CRA now owns the site, just next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall). But all this insider information is giving Washington politics and Wall Street banking a run for its money. Man, this Broad guy really knows how to play cities, and the media, doesn’t he? He should become a businessman or something. Meanwhile, is any firm hotter than Diller Scofidio + Renfro?
You Can Leave The Light On
What’s that on the roof of Hollywood’s Standard Hotel? Is it a….giant light bulb? Well, yes. Artist Piero Golia has installed a permanent, orb-shaped light (clad in acryclic, lit by eight fluorescent tubes, and sitting on a large steel spindle and crown) on the roof, called Luminous Sphere, that is quite visible from traffic below. It looks a little bit like a glowing golf ball on a steel tee. In a particularly quirky (and egotistical?) move, the light will go on when Golia is in town and off when he is out of town (it can be controlled via the internet). The project was organized by Culver City’s LA><ART and executed by Zellnerplus architects, Buro Happold engineers, and Benchmark Scenery fabricators. LA><ART, which focuses on site-specific work while also maintaining its own gallery, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Sphere launches its LA Public Domain (L.A.P.D, get it?) program (also sponsored by local group For Your Art) , promoting artistic interventions in experimental contexts. Now is that lightbulb a halogen?
Eavesdrop CA 04
The Two Johns: Cary (left), formerly of Public Architecture, and Peterson, still of PA.
WAY TO GO CLIVE
The unofficial mayor of Silver Lake, Barbara Bestor, once again transformed local Mexican restaurant Casita del Campo into a sweaty mosh pit for architects and other designers at the end of March. Among those dancing like teenagers were Clive Wilkinson and his beautiful, young (mee-ow alert!) girlfriend Cheryl Lee Scott, a local real estate agent. Back when we reported on his fantastic new house in West Hollywood, we couldn’t help but notice that it seemed an empty place for a bachelor. Read More
HOLLYWEIRD
Hotel Hollywood (Courtesy LA Daily News)
So the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign was nearly turned into the backyard for a bunch of mansions, but fortunately the recession intervened—one of a surprising number of upsides to the downside, it seems. But that doesn’t mean those big white letters aren’t seeming a little tired, and so a Dutch designer has come up with a rather clever new use that Curbed tipped us off to: turn the sign into a giant hotel. As Christian Bay-Jorgensen explained it to the Daily News, “The ultimate goal would be to preserve an internationally recognized landmark while helping the city generate badly needed funding.” If that weren’t bad enough, our pal Alissa Walker points us to Jeffrey Inaba’s plan to uproot the individual letters, loaning them out to areas of town in need of cache. The design provocateur explains after the jump, plus images of both, uh, projects. Read More
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