LA Projects 17 Created 14-Aug-16 By dirk van de broek, eindhoven, Netherlands Watts Towers Los Angeles, Simon Rodia art, sculpture Union Oil Gas Station LA Louver Gallery The California Endowment Garcia House Chemosphere House Barker Block Chinese Gardens at the Huntington Library SKETCH Foundation Gallery Air and Space Exhibits 12 Maxwell House 13 Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels 14 Los Angeles, Rafael Moneo church, religion 6 Walt Disney Concert Hall 15 Los Angeles, Gehry Partners auditorium, music theatre 7 Broad Contemporary Art Museum 16 Los Angeles, Renzo Piano museum 8 Getty Center 17 Los Angeles, Richard Meier auditorium, library, museum 9 Los Angeles, Nakada + Associates apartment, exposition space, office 5 Los Angeles, John Lautner private house 11 Los Angeles, Richard Neutra private house Los Angeles, John Lautner private house 4 Los Angeles, Rios Clementi Hale Studios office Case Study House n 22 Los Angeles, Gehry Partners exposition space, gallery, museum Los Angeles, Robert Irwin garden 3 Los Angeles, Frederick Fisher + Partners s gallery Getty Center Central Garden Los Angeles, Pierre Koenig private house Los Angeles, Kanner s car wash, gas station 2 Pacific Design Center 18 West Hollywood, Pelli Clarke Pelli s exposition space, museum, showroom 10 Los Angeles, Liu Fang Yuan http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 1
Watts Towers East 107th St 1765 Los Angeles California 90059 http://wwwwattstowersus/ The Watts Towers is proclaimed to be the largest art piece ever constructed by one person Built by a man with no formal training, Rodia's unique towers are the ultimate 'backyard' project When asked why he was constructing them, the Italian immigrant simply replied, "I wanted to do something big and I did it" The towers were created out of wire mesh, bound together by metal coat hangers A special concrete mix was applied by hand and various artifacts were then pressed into it The artifacts ranged from pieces of broken tile, seashells, coloured glass bottles, plates, and rocks Owing to Rodia's respect for the great Italian explorers, it is often said that the form of the complex is patterned after a large sailing ship The tallest tower tops out at 99' feet, just below the 100' regulation height In 1955, perhaps after falling one too many times, Simon Rodia abruptly left LA, never to return 1955 Artist Simon Rodia Friday - Sunday: 1100-1500 The towers are accessible by both the Wilmington exit of the 105 freeway, as well as by train at the 103rd Street Station off of the Blue Line http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 2
Union Oil Gas Station Slauson Ave 4700 Los Angeles California 90056 Situated at La Brea and Slauson Avenues in Los Angeles' Mid-City neighbourhood, the Union Oil Gas Station is a marriage of the city's historic love affair with the automobile and today's modern, one-stop shopping spirit of immediate gratification and convenience The daring and active design seeks to resuscitate a streetscape through integration of a 12-pump gas station, mini-market and car wash The resulting structure is an original machine of vehicular form and function Mirroring Southern California's ubiquitous freeway interchanges, two planes soar from the ground One, a concrete ramp, takes patrons up and over the rear of the mini-market and back down into a car wash The second, a sinuous and curvilinear metal structure, swoops down from the sky to serve as the roof of the mini-market The form regains an upward momentum that carries it around the front of the market where it becomes a 30-foot canopy over the pumps Floor area/size 3-2009 600 m² Kanner s 24/7 From the 405 freeway, exit La Cienaga Blvd and head north At Slauson, turn right It is on the corner of Slauson Ave and La Brea Ave http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 3
photo: Piotr Krajewski LA Louver Gallery North Venice Boulevard 45 Los Angeles California 90291 http://wwwlalouvercom LA Louver lies about as far west as one can go Just off the boardwalk in Venice, this gallery features some of the most prestigious names in contemporary art This is the temple where David Hockney will display a mural before it sells to a museum It is the perfect environment to view the sleek and mysterious sculptures of John McCraken It's where sculptor Peter Shelton astounds, Ed Moses hangs his hat (and his paintings), rockabilly artist Terry Allen provides the humor and wit, and mere mortals can come to oggle the selections (text from http://theguidelatimescom) photo: Piotr Krajewski 1997 Frederick Fisher + Partners s pkrajewski_pl Tuesday - Saturday: 1000-1800 LA Louver is located on North Venice Boulevard, between Pacific Avenue and the beach From I-405 North or South, exit Venice Boulevard, and continue west, toward the ocean The gallery is situated on the north side of the street and provides validated parking in the structure directly across the street http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 4
photo: Lindsay Drake Getty Center Central Garden Getty Center Drive 1200 Los Angeles California 90049 http://wwwgettyedu/visit/see_do/gardenshtml The Central Garden at the Getty Center was a topic of much controversy during its construction Designed by famed painter Robert Irwin, the gardens do not follow the gridded nature of the adjacent buildings, but rather slash across the 'valley', and mix bright swathes of colour against the green lawns before ending in a large circular pool Richard Meier so hated the garden's design that a documentary called 'Concert of Wills: Making the Getty Center' primarily focuses on the arguments between the two designers Luckily for us, Irwin's design won out As Irwin puts it, "A garden is an adventure, and nature is probably the closest thing you're going to get to that kind of -- moving in a world, you know -- push-pull, in-out, up-down, right and wrong After a certain time, once the garden got going, it changed all the rules It did things that were so much better than I had thought" Floor area/size 12-1997 12000 m² Artist, Landscape architect Robert Irwin photo: Ken McCown Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday: 1000-1800 Friday and Saturday: 1000-2100 From the 405 freeway, exit at Getty Center Drive Signs will direct you to a parking garage where you can board a tram that takes you 15 miles up the hill to the museum complex Entrance to the museum is free, but parking costs $8 http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 5
The California Endowment North Alameda Street 1000 Los Angeles California 90012 http://wwwcalendoworg/ The California Endowment is one of the largest charitable organizations in the state of California Although very modern in appearance, the layout of the site embraces the Spanish-style, Southern California tradition of courtyard buildings In this case, meeting areas and pavilions define a 1400 sq metre courtyard, with a four-storey office tower on the north side of the court oriented around a full atrium The colours, although vibrant, reflect the history of the site, nearby Chinatown and Olvera Street The main courtyard contains a variety of plant life including medicinal plants, such as aloe vera, pennyroyal, lavender, and rosemary, suggesting a Spanish mission garden The project is expected to achieve a LEED silver rating Project is not public! Floor area/size 4-2006 11000 m² Associate architect Rios Clementi Hale Studios House and Robertson http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 6
Garcia House Mulholland Dr 7436 Los Angeles California 90046 High above the Hollywood hills, just northwest of downtown Los Angeles, a concrete arch floats off the ground It was designed in the early '60's by John Lautner, one of the cities most progressive and futuristic architects Beneath the arch, the space splits into two parts, with an outdoor spiral staircase leading from Mulholland Drive down into the living area Glass walls close in both sides providing a view through the house and out over the Los Angeles basin Project is not public! 1962 John Lautner http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 7
photo: Aidan Flaherty photo: Aidan Flaherty Chemosphere House Torreyson Dr 7776 Los Angeles California 90046 http://wwwjohnlautnerorg/malinhtml With a design that's part Jetsons and part James Bond, the Chemosphere House is a classic 60's Los Angeles Modern design by one of the city's most famous architect, John Lautner The sleek, octagonal house appears to sit precariously on a pedestal, necessary because of the 45 degree sloping hill beneath it It's unique response to the site led the Encyclopædia Britannica to call it "the most modern home built in the world" With grand views of the Los Angeles Valley, it appears to be the ultimate party house, and has been featured in numerous movies including Body Double, Charlie's Angels, and Men in Black It was originally designed for Leonard Malin, a young aerospace engineer in late-1950s LA whose father-in-law had just given him a plot just off of Mulholland Drive Since 2000, it has been home to Benedikt Taschen of German book publisher company, Taschen, a well known publisher of art and architecture photo: Frank Picard Project is not public! Floor area/size 1960 200 m² John Lautner from Mulholland Dr, turn right onto Torreyson Dr, turn right at the first intersection, veer left at the second drive, and it will be up the hill on your right http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 8
photo: Roderick Trompert photo: Roderick Trompert Barker Block South Hewitt Street 510 Los Angeles California 90013 http://wwwbarkerblockcom Barker Block is a vibrant new loft community in the downtown LA Arts District It is an adaptive reuse of an historic warehouse, with many re-purposed original and historic elements like exposed rafters showing a century of character, period wood floors and brick walls from the early 1900s These act as a backdrop to modern finishes, designer cabinetry and stainless appliances Totally authentic and entirely one of a kind - this is true loft photo: Roderick Trompert Project is not public! 2009 Developer Nakada + Associates The KOR Group Roderick http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 9
photo: Marcoz Rafael Anaya photo: Marcoz Rafael Anaya Chinese Gardens at the Huntington Library Oxford Road 1151 Los Angeles California 91108 http://wwwhuntingtonorg/huntingtonlibraryaspx?id=1212 Inspired by the centuries-old Chinese tradition of private gardens designed for scholarly pursuits, Liu Fang Yuan, or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, combines the scenic beauty of nature with the expressiveness of literature to give deeper meaning to the landscape A walk through its paths enriches the mind and spirit alike True to the authentic nature of a Chinese garden, the design respects the site Sheltering woods were left undisturbed to create a sylvan backdrop A man-made lake shimmers in the same deep spot where water naturally collected on the Huntington property after heavy rains Chinese architecture and rocks from China's Lake Tai, placed around the water's edge, are balanced with native features such as California oaks Landscape architect Liu Fang Yuan marc0zy photo: Marcoz Rafael Anaya http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 10
photo: David Weibel Case Study House n 22 Woods Drive 1635 Los Angeles California 90069 The case study houses program was sponsored by Art & ure under the supervision of John Enteza The Stahl House or case study house no22 was built by Pierre Koenig a San Francisco born architect The house was made famous by a Julius Shulman photograph photo: David Weibel Project is not public! 1960 Client Pierre Koenig Mr & Mrs C H Stahl David_Weibel http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 11
photo: Piotr Krajewski photo: Piotr Krajewski SKETCH Foundation Gallery Air and Space Exhibits State Drive 700 Los Angeles California 90037 http://wwwcaliforniasciencecenterorg/exhibits/airandspace /AirAndSpacephp Built in 1984, Frank Gehry's 'Sketch Foundation Gallery - Air and Space Exhibits' at the California Science Center exemplifies his irreverent, exploded-then-reassembled sensibilities in architecture Irregular, angular forms break from their implied boundaries and overlap in unexpected, provocative ways, seemingly defying basic precepts of order and structure in building engineering The Los Angeles building is known for its metal cladding, reminiscent of airplane skin, and for the iconic jet fighter permanently poised as though leaping over the entrance wall photo: Piotr Krajewski 1984 Gehry Partners pkrajewski_pl http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 12
photo: L Guzzetta Maxwell House Edgeware rd 822 Los Angeles California 90026 http://vimeocom/16160354 The Maxwell house was built in 1941 for musicians Charles and Sybil Maxwell by one of Modernism's most important architects: Richard Neutra The house is considered the first example of Neutra's work with pitched roofs and redwood siding The house, originally located in Brentwood District of Los Angeles was moved to a lot in Angelino Heights In order to be relocated, the building had to be cut in three parts Temporary shear walls were built to grant structural stability during transportation The relocation, executed in two different dates (one piece moved first, followed by the two remaining ones), was documented on video by professional video makers hired from the owner The event was extensively covered by the press photo: Brian Thomas Jones Project is not public! 1941 Richard Neutra Donatella http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 13
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels West Temple Street 555 Los Angeles California 90012 http://wwwolacathedralorg After a 1996 earthquake ruined St Vibiana's cathedral, Rafael Moneo was asked to design a new church which is located a few blocks away from the original structure The main point of interest in this building is that the entrance is adjacent to the alter, a reversed plan compared to most cathedrals Entering from the street and traveling up the steps to the main plaza, the visitor enters the cathedral through two huge bronze doors A large ambulatory runs down the side of the church, giving the visitor glimpses of the large nave as they pass by a number of small chapels Reaching the rear of the church, one then enters a large austere space, almost devoid of decoration Another unique feature is the lack of stained glass The cathedral is instead lit by thin alabaster stone diffusing the sunlight into a very white light, illuminating most of the spaces photo: Roderick Trompert Floor area/size 9-2002 5850 m² Rafael Moneo Monday - Friday 06:30-18:00 / Saturday 09:00-18:00 / Sunday 07:00-18:00 If you are taking the 101 South: take the 101 Hollywood Freeway South to downtown Exit on Broadway and make two right turns; Broadway, then Temple After crossing Hill Street, turn right from Temple Street into the parking garage If you are taking the Harbor Freeway, 110 South: exit at Hill Street After you cross the 101 Freeway, the entrance to the parking structure will be located on your right http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 14
photo: Roderick Trompert Walt Disney Concert Hall S Grand Avenue 111 Los Angeles California 90012 http://wwwdisneyconcerthallcom/ Sitting atop the historic Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, the Walt Disney Concert Hall occupies a site adjacent to the existing Music Center in Los Angeles Originally conceived in 1987, the project was put on hold for nearly 12 years, until the necessary funding was found After Gehry's success with the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, the project plans quickly moved forward and construction began in 1999 At the opening ceremony, Gehry recounted his ideas of inspiration for the project that he had shared with Mrs Disney He said that she should think of the Hall as a bowl of white roses, and that he wanted to make a flower for her photo: Roderick Trompert Floor area/size 10-2003 18580 m² Acoustics consultant Client Gehry Partners Yasuhisa Toyota Los Angeles Philharmonic There is a variety of different tours offered at the concert hall The outdoor gardens are open for free, but they close after sunset From the 101 Freeway South, exit Hope Street and turn right The building will be two blocks on your right From the 101 Freeway North, exit Grand Avenue and turn right The building will be two blocks on your left http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 15
Broad Contemporary Art Museum Wilshire Boulevard 5905 Los Angeles California 90036 http://wwwlacmaorg/ The LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) has the latest addition to the Los Angeles art scene Over the past 40 years, it had become a sprawling mess with buildings scattered without connection over a few city blocks After initially choosing Rem Koolhaas to bring the complex of buildings together, the museum board quickly changed their mind and selected Renzo Piano in 2002, who offered a more plausible design The only new building, this Broad Contemporary Art Museum, features the skylit galleries and rooftop louvres Piano has become known for in his museums He also connected the remaining buildings with a glass entrance pavilion The exterior design is simple and clean; evoking qualities of both the Getty Center, 10 miles to the west, as well as the Case Study program from the 1940's and 1950's Floor area/size 2-2008 6700 m² Renzo Piano Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays: 1200-2000 / Saturdays & Sundays: 1100-2000 From the 10 Freeway, exit at La Brea Boulevard and head north Turn left onto Wilshire Boulevard; the building will be a few blocks down on your right http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 16
photo: Roderick Trompert photo: Roderick Trompert Getty Center Getty Center Drive 1200 Los Angeles California 90049 http://wwwgettyedu The Getty Center straddles two hillside ridges in the Santa Monica mountains like a modernist Acropolis This campus of buildings is more than just a museum; it is also a concert hall, an office complex, a research centre and a library The museum is composed of five galleries arranged around a long courtyard fountain The skin of all of the buildings is composed of 30-inch square panels, made of aluminium painted white, Meier's signature Even the Italian travertine stonework follows this 30-inch grid pattern The use of white in Meier's projects allows him to skilfully manipulate the natural light, reflecting the colours of the building's environment The buildings are the most beautiful in the late afternoon/dusk when the golden light washes across the travertine and the sun sets across the Pacific Ocean photo: Roderick Trompert Floor area/size 12-1997 87800 m² Acoustics consultant Client Richard Meier Robert Irwin J Paul Getty Trust Tuesday, thursday and sunday 1000-1800 / Friday and saturday 1000-2100 From the 405 freeway, exit at Getty Center Drive Signs will direct you to a parking garage where you can board a tram that takes you 15 miles up the hill to the museum complex Entrance to the museum is free, but parking costs $8 http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 17
Pacific Design Center Melrose Ave 8687 West Hollywood California 90069 http://wwwpacificdesigncentercom/ The Pacific Design Center is a massive multi-use facility for the design community located in West Hollywood, California It was actually completed in multiple stages The largest building, officially known as Center Blue but often described as the Blue Whale, was completed in 1975 Center Green, a later addition in 1988, was also done by Cesar Pelli The PDC houses the West Coast's top decorating and furniture market, with showrooms, public and private spaces, a branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and two restaurants operated by chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck The Center has 130 showrooms which display and sell 2100 interior product lines to professional interior designers, architects, facility managers, decorators and dealers A new building, Center Red, is scheduled to be completed in 2011 (text from Wikipedia) Floor area/size 12-1975 110000 m² Pelli Clarke Pelli s Monday -Friday: 0900-1700 http://wwwmimoaeu/users/slowfox/guides/la/ 18