LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[leftopolis]

...
You also raise an interesting point with the hotel aspect. It does seem that hotels are proposed quite often in the area (e.g., the Waldorf and Hilton expansion). I wonder if this is based on actual demand or if there is some permit ploy going on here? Do hotels promise more jobs and therefore get an easier time from the city? Or do residences get more opposition from local homeowners? Maybe it's easier to propose hotel and then switch to condo later.

I'm not saying that's the case here, but generally speaking, and from an economics/financial reward- to-the-city perspective:
A city can count on a occupancy tax from hotel rooms. Condo taxes would tend to bypass the city(for the most part) and end up going into state coffers via property tax. Again, I'm speaking in general terms here, without knowing the local specifics on taxation. At any rate, that might explain a "preference" for hotels.

[StethJeff]

It amazes me how Wilshire/Vermont, basically one of the city's busiest crossroads, can go this long with a completely unused corner space. Such a shame.

[edluva]

^it's what happens when a place depends on the economically disadvantaged for its busiest crossroads

[StethJeff]

Even if isn't Hollywood or Beverly Hills, it's still one of the city's more important intersections. It's no excuse, especially when there's a metro stop and even a law school right there. One would expect Wilshire/Vermont to at least some kind of progress.

[muppet]

William Morris Building
8 stroies - office
Beverly Hills

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2595939792_6eeb771638_o.jpg
Photo Credit: Gensler




Just noticed this one, theres a building very similar called Palestra in London, by Will Alsop, 2005

http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/P72922054e.jpg http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/7919/dsc0491513wq.jpg
www.cambridge2000.com

[colemonkee]

Wow, definitely a striking resemblance, but I like the design. And it looks like the base has some retail. Thumbs up for that.

[edluva]

Even if isn't Hollywood or Beverly Hills, it's still one of the city's more important intersections. It's no excuse, especially when there's a metro stop and even a law school right there. One would expect Wilshire/Vermont to at least some kind of progress.

it is an excuse, because everything is about money. developers aren't going to build if there's no financial incentive. noone cares how "important" an intersection is. developers aren't charities.

re: gensler's buliding - another knock-off architecture firm strikes again in los angeles. at least it's not an ugly one

[JDRCRASH]

edit

[pesto]

Eric Owen Moss, who is having a bit of a media surge, has a proposed building on the Sunset Strip. It has drawn some criticism (aesthetic as well as personal). I think it has possibilities, but that is off the subject.

For a city as progressive as WeHo and a location as public as the Strip, the aesthetic there remains antiquated, more appropriate for Branson or Anaheim than for a supposed rival of NY and London. While many interiors on Sunset now reflect the minimalist or colorful relaxation of modernism that is the recent trend, the exteriors seem to be stuck in a 1960's aesthetic: left-over modernism without much to say for itself, and a "premeditated fun" look, that is, "let's make it look like an old tavern, or bayou or saloon or woodsy place and serve booze". It is hard to see where glass or color or shiny metal or even marble that isn't "make believe Paris" have a role. Certainly not enough of it.

I guess you can't argue with success but I would think that the city and the architects would be embarrassed when out-of-town visitors show-up. Many smaller towns have architecture more adventuresome than what WeHo has on the Strip. If you don't like EOM's contribution, then let's see something better. If you can't keep up with Paris, at least try for Santa Monica or Emeryville.

[colemonkee]

Here are some renders of the proposed Eric Owen Moss hotel on Sunset & Doheny, courtesy of Curbed LA (http://la.curbed.com). More info here (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/08/west_hollywood_eric_owen_moss_hotel_revealed.php) & here (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/08/weho_planners_recommend_denial_of_eric_owen_moss_hotel.php).

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6342/200908renderingswheo.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/4183/200908sunset1.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5866/3786037902ea1c88eca3opn.jpg

[LosAngelesBeauty]

It's kinda big and hulking...


I like it.

[colemonkee]

While we're on the subject of Eric Owen Moss, his Gateway Art Tower has been under construction for over a year within walking distance of my office in the Hayden Tract of Culver City, and I've never gotten pictures of it. Probably because I never have time when I'm around the office. Luckily EOM's site has some construction pics and renders. Here's some visuals, along with an abridged desription:


http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/4773/gw04jpg.jpg
All images courtesy of www.ericowenmoss.com (http://www.ericowenmoss.com)

Gateway Art Tower
Culver City, CA

The Art Tower is an information tower, constructed at the corner of Hayden Avenue and National Boulevard. That intersection is the primary entry point into the re-developed zone of Culver City.

Conceptually, the tower has both introverted and extroverted planning objectives. Internal to the burgeoning site area of new media companies, graphic designers, and general office tenants, the tower will symbolize the advent of this important new urban development, provide a changing art display for local viewing, and offer a variety of graphic content and data on its five screens concerning coming events and current achievements of the tenants who occupy that part of the city.

For more description, go here (http://www.ericowenmoss.com/index.php?/content/projects/).

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2091/gw061ajpg.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/4247/gw07.jpg

And some construction shots:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8356/gw304jpg.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3759/gw303jpg.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/604/gw302jpg.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5682/gw301jpg.jpg

[StethJeff]

I like'em both.

[JDRCRASH]

It looks oddly familiar to LAUSD #9's ramp.

[pesto]

Love the tower. Are the power lines staying? I am curious if they are supposed to be incorporated in the overall aesthetic, which seems both playful and industrial.

LA Beauty: you're right; "hulking" isn't always an insult; sometimes it is just what an area needs. But even scaled down, it will be interesting.

And think about it, what is the most interesting architecture on the Strip? Hard to think of one. Much as you can criticize DT or Hollywood or CC, they all have buildings that jump to mind. The Strip has always been sort of a mixed bag so it would seem to be great for experimetation on a medium scale.

[WonderlandPark]

That tower is going pretty slow, but when done, it will be excellent. My pics from Nov/Dec look similar to the recent shots. But there are people working on it.

[colemonkee]

The tower has been topped out for months now. I work 3 blocks from this thing, and this is by far the slowest construction site I've ever seen. They even had what looked like facade panels up on the first two floors for about a month, which were removed last week. It's become a running joke around the office. But there are people working on the site every day, so "progress" of some sort continues on a regular basis.

[tommaso]

Please post current photos of Solair @ Wilshire & Western. Thank you.

[yeah215]

Hi all,

I noticed this hasn't been mentioned on this site. For the past year or so the Woodland Hills community and LA City Planning Department have been working on an update to the Warner Center Specific Plan. Warner Center is essentially the Century City of the Valley.

This plan has some interesting proposals.

You can see some of renderings in this flier.

http://whwcnc.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/whwcnc-1-22.jpg

Check it out the full draft plan here (http://planning.lacity.org/Code_Studies/WarnerCenterSP/DraftConsultantSpecificPlan.pdf).

It is going to be really important that we all weigh in with the City to make sure this happens. I dread the thought of NIMBYs pushing back on this plan.

[OneMetropolis]

^^ looks great hope it comes to furition. Also does anyone know what's happening with the plan to move NBC HQ out of Burbank into university city were it will be a big new modern complex? Has it already happened?

[pesto]

Haven't heard much from the Valley lately.

Warner Center is a booming area. I think it's lack of good transit is likely to limit its growth to something considerably less than CC, but that is OK. It's basically suburban (ala Costa Mesa), not urban, but with a small walkable core. It's good for locals to shop and dine in, and for regional offices.

I have wondered about how NBC's move was progressing. I know the locals and their representatives were strongly opposed to the idea given its size and potential traffic issues. In this case it seemed like their arguments were fairly weak since the job moves were largely from Burbank locations, which are already nearby, and the additional proposed development was at a Red Line station. Nevertheless, they were quite vociferous and seem to have been effective.

The funny thing is that DT or Hollywood would love to have NBC build or renovate something. But they prefer to use land they already own and in any event it's hard to get people who live in the Valley to commute to DT or Hollywood. so I assume the process will drag out.

[JDRCRASH]

There are many ways to mitigate some traffic concerns in the SFV, like extending the now U/C Orange Line to Chatsworth Metrolink Station, connecting the Red Line to Burbank Airport and/or Sun Valley Metrolink Station, maybe connect the Orange Line to the Gold Line. Plus factor in the BRT Lines planned under Measure R.

[dktshb]

Thought I would post a few updates in the Hollywood Neighborhood. Picture quality piss poor but you get the idea:

The Jefferson

From H&H looking east across Highland:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5459.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5460.jpg

You can sort of make out the interior courtyard there:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5461.jpg

Zara now open for business:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5464.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5473.jpg

1600 Vine:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5469.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5470.jpg

I'm not sure if this is part of 1600 Vine or the W Hotel:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/IMG_5466.jpg


That's it. Oh, does anybody know anything new about The Madrone? The developer, John Laing Homes filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy a while back but no new news. I can only imagine it is tied in all sorts of litigation with people putting down deposits that they never recouped. I just wish a new developer could assume no liability and get this project finished. The project sits in a state of decay and graffiti on Hollywood and La Brea.

Here is a rendering:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/Madrone.jpg

This is how it has looks since last fall:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/dktshb/Madrone1.jpg
http://activerain.com/blogsview/881985/Whats-going-on-at-The-Madrone-in-Hollywood

[HowardL]

I've read back through a couple of pages, but didn't see anything about this, but does anybody know what's going on across from Pacific Design Center ... northwest corner of San Vicente and Melrose? It may be nothing, but the site looks pretty substantial.

[Steve2726]

:previous:
I think the northwest corner is the new WeHo public library, has construction started?
Here is a link to the architects-
http://www.johnsonfavaro.com/Portfolio%20-%20West%20Hollywood%20Library%20&%20Municipal%20Garage.htm

The northeast corner is this-
http://www.red-building.com/

Oh, and great photos by the way dktshb, thanks for posting.

http://www.johnsonfavaro.com/Images/Portfolio%20-%20West%20Hollywood%20Library/WEHO-16.jpg

http://www.johnsonfavaro.com/Images/Portfolio%20-%20West%20Hollywood%20Library/WEHO-1.jpg

[Steve2726]

Oh, does anybody know anything new about The Madrone? The developer, John Laing Homes filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy a while back but no new news. I can only imagine it is tied in all sorts of litigation with people putting down deposits that they never recouped. I just wish a new developer could assume no liability and get this project finished. The project sits in a state of decay and graffiti on Hollywood and La Brea.



Back from the dead-

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/09/its_back_on_baby_hollywoods_madrone_sold_work_will_resume.php#more

It's Back On, Baby! Hollywood's Madrone Sells, Work Will Resume.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Additionally, he noted that solicitation for a general contractor (GC) has begun. "The GC [is] anticipated to be on board November 1 but no later than end of year – 2009," he writes. Wilson confirms that construction is expected to re-start by the end of the year.

[HowardL]

^^^ Aw, dig that. It makes a nice connection to the park.

I'm not sure if they've started construction or just doing site work. The site is fenced off and it looked like something was going on behind the gates.

[dktshb]

Thanks Steve:

That's great news about The Madrone or I guess now 1633 North La Brea! :banana:

I figured the PaliHouse was delayed too, and I hope they get started on it again real soon. The exterior is pretty much finished so it would be nice to see it functioning as a hotel sooner than later.

[Quixote]

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2009.09.08.park.jpg
[Via Westside/Bikeside (http://www.westsidebikeside.com/is-the-city-of-los-angeles-finally-getting-it/)]

Wilshire and Vermont Park Suggestion Just Another Prank (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/09/wilshire_and_vermont_park_proposal_punked.php)

By Dakota
September 18, 2009

Once the site of a proposed vertical mall (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/07/wilshire_and_vermont_vertical_mall_is_never_happening.php) and once the site of proposed housing project, and now, on Park (ing) Day, a park is proposed for the vacant lot of Vermont and Wilshire. Owner Gerding-Edlen may have to OK the suggestion.


Is the City of Los Angeles finally getting it? (http://www.westsidebikeside.com/is-the-city-of-los-angeles-finally-getting-it/) [Westside BIKESIDE]

[WonderlandPark]

Drove by the new Hollenbeck LAPD station this morning, with its interesting molded glass facade. AC Martin is the architect. This must look great at night.

Gold Line stations are still U/C, they don't look close from the outside to being done for a while.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3941554625_7b4b3a791e_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3941554605_3aa19ecf7b_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3941554579_489c48ea0d_o.jpg

[BrandonJXN]

The radio tower dampens a very interesting building.

[edluva]

visual gimmickry masquerading as architecture. cheap thrills are very la

[sopas ej]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3941554579_489c48ea0d_o.jpg

I drove by this on Sunday. I really like it, it's definitely a better facility than the one it replaces.

[sopas ej]

visual gimmickry masquerading as architecture.

That statement applies to anything of the Post-Modern persuasion, in my opinion.

[PragmaticIdealist]

I assume the screens improve energy efficiency. So, the facade is really ecological sustainability "masquerading as architecture."

[WonderlandPark]

visual gimmickry masquerading as architecture. cheap thrills are very la

Yeah, a concrete tilt up warehouse block would be better....:rolleyes:

[pesto]

I suppose a post-modernist would say that all there is is visual gimmickry (“everything is surface”); architecture is the masquerade (that is, an attempt to create meaning or significance where there is no signifier to begin with). Rational analysis is doomed to failure for a variety of reasons. Hardly anyone holds this position strictly for very long. Usually the more primitive human urges emerge in the objects created (power, grandeur, playfulness, etc.).

However, it is possible to discuss emotive responses. I think it looks OK except for the ridiculous red and white tower.

[sopas ej]

I actually don't mind the tower. It's not a ugly as a cellular tower.

[edluva]

I suppose a post-modernist would say that all there is is visual gimmickry (“everything is surface”); architecture is the masquerade (that is, an attempt to create meaning or significance where there is no signifier to begin with). Rational analysis is doomed to failure for a variety of reasons. Hardly anyone holds this position strictly for very long. Usually the more primitive human urges emerge in the objects created (power, grandeur, playfulness, etc.).

However, it is possible to discuss emotive responses. I think it looks OK except for the ridiculous red and white tower.

only the postmodernist by your definition. and your definition of architecture is two-dimensional, just like the visual gimmickry you're appearing to defend. architecture need not ignore spatial or structural concerns, even to your shallow postmodernist. buildings need not be billboards, even to your shallow postmodernist. even when meaning is all that matters. now you got me critiquing trash well beyond justification. but i do agree that much postmodern miscellany eventually dose find its own place in our morality. unfortunately this building will be forgotten in time. its trash.

sopas, how is it significantly different from a concrete tilt up save for the lame facade and offset windows? easily impressed dilettantes now aren't we? ;)

[sopas ej]

only the postmodernist by your definition.

sopas, how is it significantly different from a concrete tilt up save for the lame facade and offset windows? easily impressed dilettantes now aren't we? ;)

Well, let me ask you this; which would you have preferred? A Taj Mahal? A concrete tilt up box? This? It's all obviously very subjective, if you don't like it, I don't care, it's your opinion.

Easily impressed dilettante? No. Saying that I like something, sure.

If you've ever driven through that neighborhood, or lived in that neighborhood, I'm sure this design is probably a nice one; it's certainly unique to the area. Those people deserve something much better than a tilt-up concrete box.

[edluva]

no, i'm just impressed by the ease to which we, the collective los angeles, are impressed.

i don't go by the price or quality of a building's materials, so no jasper and marble by themselves don't impress. creativity and ingenuity are everything though. even with buildings i find morally repulsive, i can appreciate them for their pop (postmodern) aesthetic ingenuity as such buildings are likely to be adopted by pop for reasons alluded to by pesto. and such buildings can be made of cinder block and rebar for all i care.

but trash is trash. it is quickly forgotten. especially when it is gimmicky and cynical. much of los angeles is this way, to the extreme. we may find meaning in the collective trash pop of la, but individually, such buildings are the meaningless refuse of the cynical, opportunistic mercantilism that makes up la. such buildings will never be found, individually at least, to have lasting grandeur, power, or playfulness. they are metabolic byproducts of the more significant culture which pesto struggles to justify and attach to this building and others like it, rather than the thing itself.

but to avoid flooding your parade i can see how some feel this to be an improvement for the neighborhood.

[pesto]

Ed: I am definitely not a postmodernist and am not interested in critiquing this building, except maybe the silly looking tower. I also don’t want to bore everyone with a discussion of contemporary critical theory. But someone mentioned "postmodern" and I though some very brief background on their approach would be interesting.

Briefly, you seem to be arguing for a position within architectural theory, where “postmodern” has reamained as a bit of catch-all term for anything reacting against the supposed sterility of high modernism. This is much more parochial than its use in general epistemological and aesthetic theory, where it (very loosely and roughly) refers to the idea that reality is constructed by the individual in consultation with a small, local group and that attempts to generalize rules and apply them universally or outside their immediate areas of origin are always a mistake. The philosophical and cultural playing out of this idea has had enormous implications in every field of life.

For sure architecture should not ignore spacial or structural concerns. But (to a postmodernis) these are utilitarian issues, not aesthetic.

[sopas ej]

we may find meaning in the collective trash pop of la, but individually, such buildings are the meaningless refuse of the cynical, opportunistic mercantilism that makes up la. such buildings will never be found, individually at least, to have lasting grandeur, power, or playfulness. they are metabolic byproducts of the more significant culture which pesto struggles to justify and attach to this building and others like it, rather than the thing itself.

It's a neighborhood police station.

[JDRCRASH]

Landscaping is good, too; and here I think they did a good job.

[edluva]

The philosophical and cultural playing out of this idea has had enormous implications in every field of life.

For sure architecture should not ignore spacial or structural concerns. But (to a postmodernis) these are utilitarian issues, not aesthetic.

well i'm not a postmodernist (of either sort) nor am i the one who inserted this into discussion, but if you were referring to topologies then you are the biggest catch-all offender here. even if it is all differance and repetition, i'm not trying to get into a philosophical play on words to justify crap that a critical regionalist would consider to hold subjective meaning. that would be too blatantly hypocritical. a postmodernist, at least along deleuze's train of thought, doesn't choose between the ultilitarian and the aesthetic. he just sees subtext behind its distinction. (and if you're into philosophy, postmodernists don't exist - all postmodernists disavow the label)

sopas ej - it's a police station. yes. and it's crap that only angelenos on a skyscraper/architecture/urban enthusiast site could unite behind.:cheers:

[WonderlandPark]

edluva cracks me up in somehow attaching deep philosophical meaning to architecture, like something out of an architecture school text. Too much Learning from Las Vegas or whatever theory based stuff is taught these days. Its a building, it is green, visually open to the community, there is no 'pop trash' attached or any deeper meaning. It serves its function.

Theory is fine, but it doesn't build buildings (Hejduk designed tons of interesting theoretical buildings, non ever got even close to built) As unfortunate as it sounds, we are lucky that someone is at least trying and is given a little extra budget to try.

Furthermore, with this nation's recent downright paranoia over terrorism, I am surprised that AC Martin was allowed to put that much glass on the front of a police station.

Its close to our shooting location, so I shot this last evening: works for me, edluva can stick to his ivory tower and dream on
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3948021590_1b45716704_o.jpg

[LAsam]

Furthermore, with this nation's recent downright paranoia over terrorism, I am surprised that AC Martin was allowed to put that much glass on the front of a police station.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3948021590_1b45716704_o.jpg

I wonder if all the glass on the the new LAPD HQ and Hollenbeck station are meant specifically to imply the police are open and accesible to the public... or if it's just there to be nice looking. The old police HQ and stations were built like bunkers...

[sopas ej]

I wonder if all the glass on the the new LAPD HQ and Hollenbeck station are meant specifically to imply the police are open and accesible to the public... or if it's just there to be nice looking. The old police HQ and stations were built like bunkers...

That was my interpretation; when I drove by it, i thought it was far more welcoming than the facility that it replaces. And to me it doesn't look like a typical police station; take away the police sign, and it could be a neighborhood public library branch.

[Steve2726]

no, i'm just impressed by the ease to which we, the collective los angeles, are impressed.


and it's crap that only angelenos on a skyscraper/architecture/urban enthusiast site could unite behind.

Why do you extrapolate what 1 or 2 people on a forum say as representing the collective thought of millions? I appreciate your criticism, but it would be far more compelling without ridiculous generalizations.

[pesto]

Ed: I am a lover not a fighter. I had some difficulty following your comments, so I won't comment on them except the last: many postmodernists openly and freely accept the term (Harvey and Lyotard among many others use it in titles of their books and in their lectures as well). Of course, maybe some don't.

I was not defending either postmodernism or American society or world architecture norms or anything else. I gave a basic explanation of postmodernism. However, some of your comments are not helpful or apposite in explaining their views.

Otherwise, the night pictures are actually quite striking. I would call it pretty good by night, if perhaps only OK by day. I had thought about the gunfire vs. openness issue as well, since even libraries now-a-days avoid glass facing toward unpatrolled areas. I am curious what thinking went into this.

Is this the same station that Sandow Birk was doing the murals for? I don't think so, I believe that it was in Boyle Heights. Anyone know?

[JDRCRASH]

Don't feed Edluva, Pesto. Place him on your "ignore" list.:rolleyes:

[sopas ej]

Is this the same station that Sandow Birk was doing the murals for? I don't think so, I believe that it was in Boyle Heights. Anyone know?

Yes, it's the same station; the Hollenbeck Station is in Boyle Heights.

So what happened with the mural? Was it too controversial, so it wasn't done? I remember reading about it last year in the LA Times.

[edluva]

edluva cracks me up in somehow attaching deep philosophical meaning to architecture, like something out of an architecture school text. Too much Learning from Las Vegas or whatever theory based stuff is taught these days. Its a building, it is green, visually open to the community, there is no 'pop trash' attached or any deeper meaning. It serves its function.

Theory is fine, but it doesn't build buildings (Hejduk designed tons of interesting theoretical buildings, non ever got even close to built) As unfortunate as it sounds, we are lucky that someone is at least trying and is given a little extra budget to try.

Furthermore, with this nation's recent downright paranoia over terrorism, I am surprised that AC Martin was allowed to put that much glass on the front of a police station.

Its close to our shooting location, so I shot this last evening: works for me, edluva can stick to his ivory tower and dream on
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3948021590_1b45716704_o.jpg

i wasn't attaching philosophical meaning to anything. i was going of what i though was pesto's understanding of philosophy, which had nothing to do with this building (aka, a tangent). but apparently, he doesn't understand the philosophical version of postmodernism, just the parochial aesthetic one he criticized earlier, which is a dumb word.

[pesto]

I know that Birk himself was surprised to have won the competition due to his consistent outspoken criticism of LAPD. But I don't know what happened after that. Maybe his submissions were found to be unsuitable. Wasn't there an issue over a taco wagon in one of them? I remember that from a community comment session some time ago.

Ed: I was going to tell JDR that while your comments are not enlightening, they are at least entertaining because of your passion. To be honest, they seem to reflect a quick emotive response backed up by a couple of phrases pulled out of a quick internet search of the subject.

If you want to be taken more seriously you are going to have to do better than "Gehry sucks" or everything is "trash" or such. Read a good introduction to architecture history and criticism and pay attention to local neighborhoods and contexts. If you want to branch out there are a number of books on critical theory that will give you a sense of its breath.

[pesto]

and, almost as important, its breadth.

[edluva]

i don't believe you understood a word of my reply, pesto. apparently you didn't realize that it pretty much had nothing to do with architecture to begin with.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

I drove past this police station and was pleasantly surprised by it (within the context of the neighborhood that is pretty dilapidated/seedy). Then I realized that right across the street, IIRC, is the new Gold Line station. It's pretty obvious that the County decided to pay for a more expensive architecture firm, AC Martin in this case, to design a station that would be presentable, and make a fairly good impression, to passengers getting off the trains at this new station. IOW, its a phenomenon I hope continues as the community invests and upgrades the areas next to the stations to breathe new life and money and hopefully sets a precedent followed by even more investments.

[JDRCRASH]

It's good that you see the beauty in this structure, LAB.;)

[pesto]

Context! This is exactly what the local hood needs: some presence and some style that sets a tone for future development, but without an attempt to act as a showplace (which could discourage further development).

In and of itself not that interesting, but location appropriate.

[Avanine-Commuter]

I don't even know why Edluva lives in L.A. Just reading his posts make me feel sick. Just FYI, trying to sound intelligent with your philosophical babble won't change the fact that this building > a stone block.

[JDRCRASH]

He claims that he can't afford to live somewhere else yet, but something's screwy there.

[LAofAnaheim]

I drove past this police station and was pleasantly surprised by it (within the context of the neighborhood that is pretty dilapidated/seedy). Then I realized that right across the street, IIRC, is the new Gold Line station. It's pretty obvious that the County decided to pay for a more expensive architecture firm, AC Martin in this case, to design a station that would be presentable, and make a fairly good impression, to passengers getting off the trains at this new station. IOW, its a phenomenon I hope continues as the community invests and upgrades the areas next to the stations to breathe new life and money and hopefully sets a precedent followed by even more investments.

There's a Gold Line station across from the new police headquarters? Are you sure? Or am I reading your quote wrong? The station is at least 3 blocks away, and I assume you mean the Arts District/Little Tokyo station.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Hes not talking about the headquarters, rather the new station in East LA.

[dktshb]

That was my interpretation; when I drove by it, i thought it was far more welcoming than the facility that it replaces. And to me it doesn't look like a typical police station; take away the police sign, and it could be a neighborhood public library branch. That's the first thing that came to my mind, I thought it looked more like a library than a police station. I am cool with it. It looks clean, neat and tidy with a little flamboyance.

[sopas ej]

I don't even know why Edluva lives in L.A. Just reading his posts make me feel sick.

Looking at his posts, there's a consistency there. I would think he has Asperger's syndrome.

[sopas ej]

That's the first thing that came to my mind, I thought it looked more like a library than a police station. I am cool with it. It looks clean, neat and tidy with a little flamboyance.

I also think that the tiled mural that was planned for it would have added to it too, I think it would've been a more personalized touch for the community it's serving, but as it is, I think it looks fine.

[Avanine-Commuter]

Hollenbeck Police Station
Los Angeles / AC Martin

By:
Nate Berg

When the city of Los Angeles announced it wanted to redesign 13 of the city’s aging police stations, architect David Martin set his sights on a station in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in town: Boyle Heights. “It’s a rough, tough area,” says Martin, principal at local architecture and planning firm AC Martin. “So we thought, of all the sites, we might really be able to make a difference on this one.”

The Hollenbeck Police Station routinely responds to gang violence and drug problems in the neighborhood, and the brutal design of the old building matched the area’s toughness with a hard, unwelcoming exterior. With the replacement station, AC Martin sought to change that.

“We asked ourselves: ‘What if we did the opposite of what you’re supposed to do?” says Martin. Instead of unyielding brick walls, the design team made liberal use of glass. “The idea is transparency—literal transparency—to have it be more of an interesting and welcoming sort of place, rather than a fortress.”

The entrance is located in an undulated glass façade featuring roughly 70 bent frosted-glass panels. Each panel consists of two pieces of bent clear glass laminated together with a translucent interlayer, creating a semi-opacity that obscures what’s going on inside, but still allows light to filter through. The pieces attach to a curtain wall system with a custom aluminum bracket designed in-house at AC Martin, and then further engineered by Dallas-based Curtain Wall Design & Consulting. The effect is a sculptural, staccato display that serves Martin’s idea of literal and figurative transparency, an important tool in building trust with the community.

The façade is oriented toward the street, with a fronting plaza area that looks onto a nearby park. The intent was to make a deliberately open area that could be used by the community—and become part of it. A publicly available multipurpose room is designed into the building, so local groups can hold events there. Double doors open the community room up into the plaza, allowing events to spill out into the neighborhood.

Martin says it was important to both his firm and the LAPD to create a space that intertwined with the neighborhood and its people. But because this community asset is also a police station, there were some distinct security criteria that ultimately guided the design. “Their patterns and adjacencies of how you lay out a police station are fixed—because it’s survival,” Martin says.

Ensuring the security of police personnel was a top priority in determining the location of windows, holding cells, and detainee processing areas. And while the glass panels on the façade are not bulletproof, the glass behind them is. Just to be certain, officers took the material to the LAPD’s firing range to verify the manufacturer’s claims.

Also important was how the building worked for the officers. Wide hallways make it easier to maneuver with heavy equipment, and recycled rubber floors ease the impact of a long day of standing.

Fully operational since July, the station is on its way to earning LEED Gold certification—another type of community leadership. With its inclusive design, the station has already made an impact and become, the architects hope, a welcoming neighborhood landmark.

from ArchitectMagazine.com

[yeah215]

Looking at his posts, there's a consistency there. I would think he has Asperger's syndrome.

:previous: This is highly inappropriate. I urge forumers refrained from these types of comments.

[pesto]

av-co: thanks for the informative article on Hollenbeck. Gangs thrive because they serve multiple purposes. It's good to see that the welcoming, community out-reach and availability aspects of the station are there, since that helps replace one of the gangs' drawing cards.

The interplay of bullet-proof glass and open feeling is a real metaphor for the task of making big cities livable.

[JDRCRASH]

:previous: This is highly inappropriate. I urge forumers refrained from these types of comments.

Doesn't bother me.

[202_Cyclist]

San Pedro makeover just getting launched

Sahagun, Louis
Los Angeles Times
September 29, 2009

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sanpedro29-2009sep29,0,2231688.story

After 10 years of contentious discussions, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission
is expected to vote today on a $1.2-billion project designed to transform the
San Pedro waterfront into a vibrant commercial district.

The action would bring to a close a master-planning process that some in the
seaside community thought would never end. But the struggles over what should
arise along 400 acres available for development are just getting started.

The project calls for replacing the ailing Ports O' Call Village tourist spot
with up to 300,000 square feet of new restaurants and shops and a
75,000-square-foot conference center. It would be a crucial source of income and
jobs.

The project also calls for completion of an 8.7-mile promenade, 27 acres of
new parks, fountains, three pocket harbors and a fireboat museum along eight
miles of waterfront on the west side of the Port of Los Angeles' main channel.

Port authorities acknowledge that the economic downturn could slow the
development process.

"I have a real pessimistic economic forecast figured into my budget this
year, so I have to be careful about starting new projects," Geraldine Knatz, the
port's executive director, said in an interview.

"Next fiscal year, we'll have about $25 million to spend on starting
something new," she said. "But the promenade and downtown harbor developments
are high-priority projects."

The project would be constructed in phases and completed within about 10
years, officials said.

Construction work was expected to begin with a $42-million upgrade of the
downtown cruise terminal and a makeover of the Ports O'Call Village's collection
of Old English, New England and Spanish-style buildings connected by an uneven,
narrow, red brick walkway.

In its heyday, the village attracted more than 1 million visitors a year.

It began to deteriorate in the 1980s and took a further hit with the closing
of Marineland in 1987 in nearby Rancho Palos Verdes, and the creation or
expansion of tourist-friendly districts in Pasadena, Santa Monica, Universal
City and Anaheim.

Today, it exists as a mix of trinket shops, candy and ice cream stores,
quick-service seafood eateries and the Ports O' Call Restaurant. Many
downtrodden buildings in the village have already been demolished.

"I've been waiting for this master plan for as long as I can remember," said
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes the port. "It
will signal for once and for all that we are building our world-class
waterfront."

"We need a skyline to complement our crane line," she added. "The world's
greatest working port should also become the world's greatest living port."

The most controversial proposal in the master plan calls for construction of
a cruise terminal at Kaiser Point, on the southern end of the main channel.

The Outer Harbor terminal would include two berths -- one facing east, the
other facing picturesque Cabrillo Beach on the west.

They would be designed to create more berth space and accommodate larger
Voyager- and Freedom-class vessels.

Of particular concern to critics, including the Coastal San Pedro
Neighborhood Council, the Sierra Club and local boaters, is the port's desire to
build the berth on the west side of Kaiser Point.

These groups say the project would ruin panoramic vistas and dominate the
waterway, creating a hazard by restricting recreational boat access in an area
of the main channel known for its often treacherous afternoon winds.

"For experienced sailors, that's not a problem," said Roger Roman, a
spokesman for the Buccaneer Yacht Club. "But for single-handed sailors and
novice family sailors, there could be issues. Getting blown down into a cruise
ship is not a fun day at sea."

They also fear that the Outer Harbor terminal might one day be developed to
the point that it could undermine downtown San Pedro's commercial enhancements.

Generally, though, stakeholders in the isolated, ethnically diverse community
approve of the plan, which they hope would create a people-friendly buffer
between their neighborhoods and the industrial empire of cranes, cargo ships,
chemical depots and diesel-powered big rigs about 20 miles south of downtown Los
Angeles.

Yielding to pressure from local residents, the port began entertaining
proposals for a master plan a decade ago.

Separately, nearly $100 million worth of upgrades, including development of a
22nd Street Park and 700-slip Cabrillo Marina Phase II, are already underway.

Construction of master plan projects cannot start soon enough for Jayme
Wilson, a Ports O' Call business owner and president of the San Pedro Chamber of
Commerce.

"It's been a long struggle. Now, let's get it done," Wilson said. "I just
wonder when they are going to start putting shovels in the ground. The sooner
the better."

Joshua Stecker, editor of San Pedro Magazine, agreed.

"The waterfront we have right now is a shame because there is so much
potential," said Stecker, a lifelong resident of San Pedro. "San Pedro remains
the only city in America where property values decrease the closer you get to
the ocean.

"To those who would nitpick and call this master plan lackluster," he added,
"I say something is better than nothing."

[Quixote]

$1.2 Billion Waterfront Redevelopment OK'd (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13449379?source=rv)

By Art Marroquin and Donna Littlejohn, Staff Writers
September 30, 2009

A $1.2 billion plan aimed at redeveloping San Pedro's waterfront was approved by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners early Wednesday morning, including the construction of a controversial cruise terminal near Cabrillo Beach.

The commission voted 4-0 to approve a plan that calls for building an east-facing berth as part of the first phase of the Outer Harbor Cruise Terminal, located at the southern end of the Port of Los Angeles' Main Channel.

The move was an about-face from the port staff's recommendation to spruce up a west-facing berth that's already equipped to handle ships, but would have been about 700 yards away from Cabrillo Beach.

"I think there is so much potential to build goodwill with this condition and really win a lot of respect from the community, who felt they were heard and that our decision-making process was impacted by what we heard tonight," said Harbor Commissioner Jerilyn Lopez-Mendoza, who suggested that the east-facing berth be built first, despite a $14 million difference in construction costs.

The meeting, which lasted 7 ½ hours, drew a diverse mix of an estimated 500 San Pedro residents.

Business owners, dockworkers, neighborhood council activists, government officials and veterans of countless waterfront workshops that had been held over the past decade converged on the Liberty Hill Plaza in downtown San Pedro to express their feelings about the latest proposal.

"I have probably been to over a hundred meetings regarding this, and I'm so proud to see we're at this point," said Joe Gatlin of San Pedro, who has served on several community panels.

"I've been here when there were fish canneries, when we had jobs for everyone, when downtown was vibrant," Gatlin said. "It's no longer that way. Right now, we have an opportunity of a lifetime. Let's put some shovels in the dirt and get this thing going."

Even though it remained unclear which aspects would be built first, port officials said it could take up to a decade to construct all the waterfront upgrades. The harbor commission gave port staffers 30 days to outline which projects could move ahead.

In the meantime, about $14 million was budgeted this year to design the Seventh Street Pier and cuts into the existing waterfront to make room for three new harbors.

"After more than a decade of discussion ... it's exciting to move forward on this historic project," said Geraldine Knatz, the port's executive director.

"The port is committed to creating a world-class L.A. waterfront that benefits our city," Knatz said. "Tonight's board approval sets the wheels in motion for turning this planning effort into a reality."

Port officials said the new cruise ship terminal is needed to handle the next generation of larger luxury vessels visiting San Pedro. For now, extra-large cruise ship must back down the Main Channel to get in and out of the cruise terminal at the north end of the port.

"The new cruise terminal is needed because the luxurious new cruise ships coming out will be attracted to the newest of harbor facilities," said Gary Toebben, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

"In this day and age, unless you continue to upgrade your facilities, you will be left out because somebody else will do it," Toebben said. "It will only attract more tourist, which will significantly stimulate economic activity throughout the South Bay."

Port officials have also said they hope the new cruise terminal would keep Disney Cruise Lines in San Pedro. Disney is scheduled to start offering Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles under the terms of a two-year agreement set to begin in 2011.

Vern Hall, the port's former director of engineering, said he was concerned that the Outer Harbor Cruise Terminal would become an exclusive home to Disney cruise ships.

"Disney is a wonderful organization, but they are very demanding," Hall told the harbor commission. "My greatest concern, however, is that most of your near-term activities will focus on satisfying the demands of Disney."

Knatz said that she was not negotiating an exclusive terminal agreement with any particular cruise line because it would be too costly.

Peter Warren, a member of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, submitted a petition signed by more than 1,000 San Pedro residents opposed to building a cruise terminal near Cabrillo Beach, but supported an alternate plan to build cruise ship berths near downtown.

"What we support are modern terminals near downtown with space for simultaneously berthing the largest cruise ships," Warren said. "The (port) staff alternative lacks an expansion vision for our harbor's future. It doesn't focus on downtown first."

Proponents of the overall plan said that building a seamless connection between the waterfront and downtown San Pedro is crucial for the area's economic survival. Port officials said 64 percent of the project's spending would go toward linking the two destinations.

Pedestrian bridges will cross over Harbor Boulevard at Ninth and 13th streets to encourage more foot traffic, while the Seventh Street Pier would attract visitors to the foot of one of downtown's main corridors.

Plans also call for a meandering walkway from the Vincent Thomas Bridge to the southern end of San Pedro, 27 acres of new parks, a fireboat museum and an extended Red Car trolley line with stops at City Dock One, Cabrillo Beach and the new cruise terminal.

"What unifies us all in the end is the desire to have a destination unique to any place in the world," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes the port and San Pedro.

"The fundamental guiding principle for the waterfront has always been connecting it to downtown," Hahn said. "We should capitalize on the only street car system in the region with trolleys that go into downtown San Pedro."

Port officials also said they hope to find a private developer to spruce up the ramshackle buildings at Ports O'Call Village and convert it to a tourist destination.

An adjacent parking lot would be turned into shops, eateries, parks and a 75,000-square-foot conference center, doubling the size of Ports O'Call Village to 300,000 square feet. Visitors would be able to park their vehicles in a new, green-topped garage that would be built into the bluff above Sampson Way.

Bill McWaid of Lomita, a volunteer on the SS Lane Victory, carefully studied the waterfront schematics before entering the meeting room. He supported plans to move the retired World War II vessel to a new dock in hopes that it would attract more visitors.

"I think that would be good for us," McWaid said, adding that many people can't find the SS Lane Victory at its current home near the cruise terminal.

"San Pedro needs help," he said. "It will make it more like Long Beach."

Not everyone was supportive of the plan.

Bernie Shepherd of Hollywood Hills owns rental properties in San Pedro and has attended the waterfront meetings since the began nearly 10 years ago. While Shepherd said the proposal was "long overdue," it still fell short in his eyes.

"It lacks world class," he said. "The real ground-breaking idea is not here. It's too timid. There are too many cooks and too many compromises. It's all watered down. Where's the world class?"

Andrew Silber, owner of the Whale and Ale Pub in downtown San Pedro, was feeling optimistic as he entered the meeting hall.

"In some ways it's never enough, but it will be a huge improvement," Silber said. "If they provide linkages from the waterfront to downtown, I can't see why downtown wouldn't thrive."

[Quixote]

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2009.09.wetherly2.jpg

12-Story Wetherly Project Approved by City Council (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/09/burton_way_project_approved_by_city_council.php#more)

By Dakota
September 30, 2009

Today the City Council approved Genton Barth Real Estate Group's Wetherly project, a 12-story development that'll bring 95 condos to the corner of 3rd Street and Wetherly Drive. Given earlier resistance to the project by neighborhood groups, we had been wondering if anyone would sue, but the Los Angeles Times reports that Councilman Paul Koretz helped broker a compromise between some of the homeowner groups and the developer (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/09/burton_way_project_approved_by_city_council.php#more). Initially, Harald Hahn, president of the Burton Way Foundation, had been very vocal about the project's height (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/04/some_neighbors_balk_at_wetherly_drive_project.php), which has now dropped to 12 stories. Reached last night, he told us he had no comment on the project. Meanwhile, per a press rep for Koretz's office, some of the concessions made by the developer include 48 units of Cedars Sinai workforce housing (at another location), and a donation to the West Third Street Business Association for the implementation of a streetscape program and public valet program. And as noted last week, the architect here is RTKL (http://www.rtkl.com/).

L.A. City Council OKs 12-story Westside condo near Beverly Center (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/la-council-okays-12-story-westside-condo-near-beverly-center.html) [LA Times]

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2009.09.councilappr.jpg

[LAsam]

File the waterfront development right next to the LAX renovations under - "About damn time."

[Quixote]

^ 2010-2020: The About Damn Time Decade

1) Transit improvements
2) LAX modernization
3) San Pedro waterfront redevelopment
4) LA River revitalization

We're 20-30 years behind where we should be.

[BrandonJXN]

^ All of, if not most of these things should've been done before the Olympics.

[POLA]

Edluva, did you hear Kuntsler's assesment of LA yet? I thought it was pretty good overall:
http://kunstlercast.com/shows/KunstlerCast_81_Los_Angeles.html

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i think the following is some great news for the ports and all of Los Angeles.

San Pedro makeover, other port projects move forward in busy week
October 3, 2009 | 2:04 pm

The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex's new crosscurrents were evident this week, with approvals of projects and federal funds to improve the quality of life in what was once among the least hospitable regions in Southern California.

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission early Wednesday unanimously approved a long-awaited $1.2-billion San Pedro Waterfront revitalization project, which aims to transform the shabby Ports O' Call Village tourist spot into a 300,000-square-foot dining and shopping outpost.

The project, which backers say will create an estimated 5,000 new jobs over the next decade, also calls for an 8.7-mile-long promenade, new parks and fountains, three pocket harbors, a 75,000-square-foot conference center and another cruise ship terminal.

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $90,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review a city-commissioned analysis of the feasibility of dismantling the part of the Long Beach breakwater to restore ocean currents, create cleaner beaches and revive the city's historic seaside allure.

The Army Corps' review will determine whether there is federal interest in pursuing changes to the stony barricade.

According to the study conducted by the engineering firm of Moffat & Nichol, the city could gain $52 million a year in local spending — and $7 million annually in sales tax revenue — by altering the 2.2-mile wall of rock created during World War II.

Also on Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $26 million in federal stimulus grants to reduce diesel emissions in the Southern California air basin, in part by retrofitting heavy port equipment including big rigs and rubber-tired gantry cranes.

There's more. Environmental, health and labor groups on Thursday joined Los Angeles and Long Beach officials in celebrating the first anniversary of the clean truck program, a $1.8-billion strategy to slash diesel emissions by phasing out 17,000 old, dirty big rigs serving port terminals.

In the Port of Los Angeles, the program has already eliminated 2,000 of the dirtiest and oldest trucks from port terminals, and put an estimated 6,000 cleaner-burning vehicles into service.

"Congratulations to Southern California residents, environmentalists and truck drivers who fought for the Los Angeles Clean Truck Program and now breathe cleaner air one year later," Michael Green, head of the Center for Environmental Health, said in a statement.

-- Louis Sahagun in Long Beach

[KEVINcredible1226]

Westside
I agree COMPLETELY!
I mean The LA River looks so crappy, finally they are doing something about it, and for one of the most busiest Airport in the world, LAX's interior looks very bad. Although they have done some Renovations it still doesnt look good. Their also opening lines connecting to the westside like Century City which is good.


Hold On i have a question?
The new Westfield in century city, i thought there was a westfield in Century City already, this new plan their making is it just Renovations, or will they replace it. Im very confused. I Havent been in Century City for so long.

[pesto]

Century City: it's a renovation and expansion. The whole project includes getting rid of a couple of smaller office buildings, putting in one new high-rise (maybe with a Purple Line station in it) and generally getting a greener, sleeker look, more restaurants and clubs.

Combined with the project that replaces the Century Plaza Hotel, this could be a real step forward for the urban nature of CC. Of course, it all comes with a big "if" (such as funding, law suits, etc.).

[KEVINcredible1226]

A purple line station with a New Westfield Mall!
Sounds like ill be going there often.
Im hating the "if" part though.

I like CC better than DTLA because CC has more Foot traffic and it's buildings are just more attractive. Im also looking forward to the new twin towers replacing the Century Plaza hotel. Will it be CC's newest tallest building??

Can someone show a rendering of some sort of CC with it's proposed buildings??? much Appreciated.

When will the purple line open in CC??? It'll do great for all the traffic on the 10 Freeway and 405. Hopefully it comes true.

[JDRCRASH]

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3261/3118012323_7baa58d883_o.png

Or were you looking for a rendering with CC skyline itself with the proposed towers?

[BrandonJXN]

A purple line station with a New Westfield Mall!
Sounds like ill be going there often.
Im hating the "if" part though.

I like CC better than DTLA because CC has more Foot traffic and it's buildings are just more attractive. Im also looking forward to the new twin towers replacing the Century Plaza hotel. Will it be CC's newest tallest building??

Can someone show a rendering of some sort of CC with it's proposed buildings??? much Appreciated.

When will the purple line open in CC??? It'll do great for all the traffic on the 10 Freeway and 405. Hopefully it comes true.

Century City has more foot traffic than Downtown? Orly? Downtown has more foot traffic on a Sunday than Century City on a Wednesday. I love CC but it still needs to find a way to make itself more welcoming to people. Century City if comparable to La Defense in Paris. Nice buildings but totally sterile and cold.

[pesto]

Kevin: you're looking for trouble around here when you prefer CC to DT. Probably the best way of putting it is that each has something it needs that the other has.

DT has people actually living in it and a much more organic and urban feel. But this is offset by oldness, dirt and poverty. CC has newness, cleanliness and safety but very much of a "managed" feel; you can't feel like there is a neighborhood bar or park you could hang in.

The good news is that each is getting more of what it is lacking.

[KEVINcredible1226]

Yes okay "each has something it needs that the other has." I feel that too, if only they were all together and not spread apart. LA's skyline would be large.

DTLA i think has alot of Foot traffic in Broadway, but once i pass Los Angeles St. i dont feel at all safe, not like in CC where i feel safe anywhere i walk. CC is also so nice and clean, while DTLA has all the homeless on skid row. I think they both have their Ups and Their Downs.

And has anyone noticed, Hollywood kinda reminds me of Times Square, Its so beautiful, i love all the Signs and Billboards. It has such a new york feel, and there are so many people that walk around too.

[KEVINcredible1226]

oh yes JDR i want to see the CC's skyline with the towers all together. But thank you for the rendering of the towers itself. I think i get a better picture of how it will look.

[BrandonJXN]

Hollywood reminds me of Hollywood.

[ethereal_reality]

Just for fun.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4983/la0825centuryplazaillus.jpg
Carlos Diniz


Century Plaza illustration 1964.

[mdiederi]

I was at the airport today and there's scaffolding all over the Theme Building. Is that just a re-paint or are they doing something?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Hollywood reminds me of Hollywood.

I agree it is nothing like Times Square. The scale and feel are completely different.

[pesto]

That's funny; Hollywood doesn't remind me of Hollywood and TS does not remind me of TS.

They both have changed a lot. I would guess that both are more like the 1930's than the way they were for most of the last 50 years. The tourists are back and now have a positive attitude; the big entertainment companies put on parties, shows, events, etc., there rather than avoiding it like the plague (remember Taxi Driver? not exactly Disney and Muppet territory). Especially in Hollywood, the club and restaurant patrons are rather dressy (or at least trendy), not derelicts in dive bars.

And it's impossible not to notice some similarities: the nightlife, the tourists, the street crowds, the moving in of big name retail and entertainment, hotels and condos, media, mass transit, redevelopment, etc. Development spreading off the main drag onto side streets. And some rough edges.

[JDRCRASH]

Yes okay "each has something it needs that the other has." I feel that too, if only they were all together and not spread apart. LA's skyline would be large.

If you check out the diagrams section, LA is like #8 when it comes to high-rises.


DTLA i think has alot of Foot traffic in Broadway, but once i pass Los Angeles St. i dont feel at all safe, not like in CC where i feel safe anywhere i walk. CC is also so nice and clean, while DTLA has all the homeless on skid row. I think they both have their Ups and Their Downs.

You have to go back to the early half of the 20th century, when the Historic Core was in it's prime, to see alot of pedestrian traffic:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/Broadway_at_night_Los_Angeles_1940s.jpg


And has anyone noticed, Hollywood kinda reminds me of Times Square, Its so beautiful, i love all the Signs and Billboards. It has such a new york feel, and there are so many people that walk around too.

I've been trying to convince some people on the blog "Curbed LA" (Ex. STARCHY) that billboards, when placed in the right areas, can improve their nightlife, which is needed especially in Downtown.

[pesto]

Love the picture; all that's missing is Philip Marlowe and a trench coat. Quite a contrast to the proposed CC buildings up above.

DT has a bit of CC in it: the new Financial District along Fig, Flower, Grand. But the rest of it has an urbanity that I don't think CC will ever have. Kind of scary but no more so that 100 other big city DT areas (except bigger than most).

South Park is sort of in between; a little newer and hipper. But you would never catch Philip Marlow there.

[edluva]

Edluva, did you hear Kuntsler's assesment of LA yet? I thought it was pretty good overall:
http://kunstlercast.com/shows/KunstlerCast_81_Los_Angeles.html

pretty good overall summary relying on some poorly conceived anecdotes and the painful applciation of old stereotypes which, in spite of being trite and carrying with them the condescending tone so expected from new yorkers commenting on la, have "objective" relevance to la. la is indeed hedonistic or pornographic in many ways, and the host put it well when he said he could really get into this hedonism if he shut off a part of his brain for the moment. la is pornography of the human soul manifested in urban form.

that being said, i can't stand when new yorkers dissect and analyze los angeles as though it were an alien civlization. la is in many ways the cultural and moral trash chute to ny's higher minded consumerism. one's ugly and the other's pretty but they're still tied together at the hip.

[JDRCRASH]

one's ugly and the other's pretty

Stupid generalization.

[RuFFy]

That KunstlerCast was a mess. You can't make a serious assessment about a city in 4 days and it doesn't accurately describe the region. There's a clear lack of knowledge of how the region works. Not only that, in making the arguments against LA they forget the arguments apply to their own city as well. For instance, South Central is no dirtier than the Bronx. And the houses in the Bronx are in no better shape than those in South Central. It was pretty pathetic to imply everyone in LA is horny because the SFV is the porn capital as well. LA brings on a sense of hornyness. Yea... riiiiiight. It got a little corny if you ask me.

[pesto]

In general you can't take these things seriously; they're intended for entertainment and to make money. It's like taking investment advice from the guys on cable TV: they are not paid by the quality of their advice, but by the ratings they generate.

Treat it as entertainment not as analysis or a guide to understanding anything.

[AndrewK]

hey guys, pretty new to this particular thread. i just moved to miracle mile, and i have a question about a nearby project. anyone know what is going on at the corner of wilshire and sycamore (one block east of la brea)? looks like they have poured some underground parking, but i havent seen anything beyond that yet, and didnt see any renderings posted anywhere on the site. thanks for the help.

[Avanine-Commuter]

pretty good overall summary relying on some poorly conceived anecdotes and the painful applciation of old stereotypes which, in spite of being trite and carrying with them the condescending tone so expected from new yorkers commenting on la, have "objective" relevance to la. la is indeed hedonistic or pornographic in many ways, and the host put it well when he said he could really get into this hedonism if he shut off a part of his brain for the moment. la is pornography of the human soul manifested in urban form.

that being said, i can't stand when new yorkers dissect and analyze los angeles as though it were an alien civlization. la is in many ways the cultural and moral trash chute to ny's higher minded consumerism. one's ugly and the other's pretty but they're still tied together at the hip.

It's sickening to read this. "One's ugly and the other's pretty"? "trash chute to ny's higher minded consumerism"? Please, spare us your narrow-minded assessment of culture and morality in L.A. and move away to Europe so you can bash America as you do L.A.

[edluva]

^why would i need to move to europe to make the exact same observations i do living here? that's just stupid. la is indeed america's biggest generator of trash pop culture. do you deny this? it is the rear end of the ny/la coin. and btw, being "high minded" imply self righteousness as well. don't be so simple.

ruffy - noone implied angelenos are literally more horny than new yorkers. it's called "metaphor" (are we really this shallow?) i'm not defending kunstlercast, because the discussion had some ignorant generalizations if its own. but however imperfectly it does it, it does touch upon many fundamental truths about la (and consumerism at large) that cannot be denied.