LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0 - Page 501

JDRCRASH · #**10001** Posted **Jan 9, 2011, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

That's definitely true. DC is the museum capital of the US.

Nevertheless, it isn't a stretch to say that as the built environment on Grand Ave/Civic Center continues to evolve and mature into a coherent urban setting, it will contribute toward LA becoming the undisputed West Coast cultural hub as people easily access not only Grand Ave with its music, art, and theatre, but also the Natural History Museum/California Science Center, LACMA, and Hammer Museum with the opening of the Expo Line and Purple Line Extension.

IMO, the Regional Connector is the most important piece to the puzzle of Grand Avenue becoming an accessible destination. Sure the Red/Purple Line Civic Center station isn't that far, but another station would really give a boost to the area because it would be right next to both museums and WDCH, with The Grand and Civic Center Park both a very short walking distance away.

Illithid Dude · #**10002** Posted **Jan 9, 2011, 10:53 PM**

Sweet! 10,000 posts! I guess we should start working on Downtown Project Rundown 4.0. Let's start compiling all of the active projects going on right now. I'll post a few:

Under Construction:

la.curbed

jgminc

Proposed:

la.curbed

la.curbed

Approved:

la.curbed

some guy on this forum

la.curbed

Transit:

metro

la streetcar facebook page

I'm too lazy to actually post pictures (and forget how), so all of you swell fellows can do that.

EDIT: These are only the projects that have a higher chance of happening.

EDIT AGAIN: I decided to post the pictures.

DistrictDirt · #**10003** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 1:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

That's definitely true. DC is the museum capital of the US.

Nevertheless, it isn't a stretch to say that as the built environment on Grand Ave/Civic Center continues to evolve and mature into a coherent urban setting, it will contribute toward LA becoming the undisputed West Coast cultural hub as people easily access not only Grand Ave with its music, art, and theatre, but also the Natural History Museum/California Science Center, LACMA, and Hammer Museum with the opening of the Expo Line and Purple Line Extension.

In addition, one of the most culturally rich areas of LA, Pasadena, is already connected by Gold Line. Pasadena with the Norton Simon, Pacific Asia Museum, and Huntington Library will be icing on the cake for LA once the central city gets its act together. All that we need here in Pasadena is to get shuttle service to and from the Huntington Library to the Memorial Park Gold Line station (at least on the weekends) aaaaaaaaand of course the freakin' streetcar connecting the 4 distinct districts of Downtown Pasadena!

The 'West Coast culture hub". I can definitely get behind that!

jamesinclair · #**10004** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 4:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

The exhibit space does seem small. I had thought that adding one more level would make sense. But it seems like they are going to focus on one artist at a time rather than on sheer quantity. Modern art is often hard to relate to and focusing on one artist, his influences, thinking and legacy could help people have a good experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladowntowner

^ They also want to encourage return visits. By having rotating/changing exhibits they can accomplish that rather than an, "Oh, the Broad Collection? Seen it!" kind of attitude.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dktshb

Its Broad's personal collection so it is being built to fit his art. My only concern is that I heard this Architectural firm has a reputation of the final product falling way short of the original renderings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcat

For a museum meant to house one man's private art collection it's probably not all that small. Its exhibition space is, in fact, over 50% larger than MOCA's across the street. It's MOCA that needs a larger space.

Maybe it's just me, but if a museum is charging an entrance fee, I expect 8 hours worth of stuff to see.

JDRCRASH · #**10005** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 4:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Sweet! 10,000 posts! I guess we should start working on Downtown Project Rundown 4.0. Let's start compiling all of the active projects going on right now. I'll post a few:

Cool, i'll help out! In my opinion, we should also add non-skyscraper things like the Downtown Connector, Expo Line, Broad museum, the NFL stadium and the numerous park plans.

Quote:

EDIT: These are only the projects that have a higher chance of happening.

To tell you the truth, for the sake of keeping the 4.0 thread alive, and maybe help boost our city's "activity" a little, i'd include the lesser known projects (like the ones I mentioned) as well.

Illithid Dude · #**10006** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 5:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Cool, i'll help out! In my opinion, we should also add non-skyscraper things like the Downtown Connector, Expo Line, Broad museum, the NFL stadium and the numerous park plans.

To tell you the truth, for the sake of keeping the 4.0 thread alive, and maybe help boost our city's "activity" a little, i'd include the lesser known projects (like the ones I mentioned) as well.

Sure. And hey! New avatar.

Kingofthehill · #**10007** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 5:26 AM**

@Illithid Dude: don't forget the affordable/low-income housing going up on Main

Illithid Dude · #**10008** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 5:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

@Illithid Dude: don't forget the affordable/low-income housing going up on Main

Just throwing this out there, but you guys can help me, too. For example, I don't know about the affordable housing. Link it.

EDIT: Wait... Are you guys saying I should start the next thread? I was thinking someone a little more learned in these forums would. I was just helping out with the projects. But, if you guys think I should, I suppose I could...

JDRCRASH · #**10009** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 5:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Just throwing this out there, but you guys can help me, too. For example, I don't know about the affordable housing. Link it.

EDIT: Wait... Are you guys saying I should start the next thread? I was thinking someone a little more learned in these forums would. I was just helping out with the projects. But, if you guys think I should, I suppose I could...

Well you could if you want to. But if you don't, I could.

DistrictDirt · #**10010** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 6:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Just throwing this out there, but you guys can help me, too. For example, I don't know about the affordable housing. Link it.

The affordable housing/mixed-use project is called New Genesis Apartments.

Killefer Flammang Architects

JDRCRASH · #**10011** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 8:56 AM**

^ So is it under construction?

Kingofthehill · #**10012** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 9:30 AM**

Yep, there were photos of the foundation being laid over on Blogdowntown a few weeks ago.

Illithid Dude · #**10013** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 4:07 PM**

Thats actually a fairly nice building. Oh, and I would much rather jDRcrash do the next thread then me.

mdiederi · #**10014** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 6:10 PM**

colemonkee started it last time, you might want to check with him first.

Illithid Dude · #**10015** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdiederi

colemonkee started it last time, you might want to check with him first.

He hasn't been really active lately, though. I don't really think we need to check with him, except for him to lock this thread.

pesto · #**10016** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 6:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

The 'West Coast culture hub". I can definitely get behind that!

While DC certainly has many fine museums, NY is the cultural center of the US in terms of art, music, theater quality.

I'm not sure what 3 contiguous block area of DC you are talking about that has the symphony, opera, 2 live theaters and art galleries. I can't think of any in NY, London or Paris either. Berlin or Chicago come closer, but not on 3 blocks.

This is not to say that these cities don't have excellent arts; many are clearly superior to LA. But not on 3 blocks. I don't want to turn city vs. city, so I'll stop there.

pesto · #**10017** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 6:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

Maybe it's just me, but if a museum is charging an entrance fee, I expect 8 hours worth of stuff to see.

$200 or 300 hundred for a 2-hour dinner at Providence or Valentino (or the opera or 1 hr. with a good hooker) and not even $10 for 20th century art? I will admit the Louvre is a better deal but 8 hours of modern art would be a long-time for most people.

PragmaticIdealist · #**10018** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

While DC certainly has many fine museums, NY is the cultural center of the US in terms of art, music, theater quality.

I'm not sure what 3 contiguous block area of DC you are talking about that has the symphony, opera, 2 live theaters and art galleries. I can't think of any in NY, London or Paris either. Berlin or Chicago come closer, but not on 3 blocks.

This is not to say that these cities don't have excellent arts; many are clearly superior to LA. But not on 3 blocks. I don't want to turn city vs. city, so I'll stop there.

I think placing so many buildings with such similar uses within close proximity to each other is really misguided.

Civic buildings need to be interspersed among residential, retail, and office uses. And, said buildings should be given honorific sites.

DistrictDirt · #**10019** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

I'm not sure what 3 contiguous block area of DC you are talking about that has the symphony, opera, 2 live theaters and art galleries. I can't think of any in NY, London or Paris either. Berlin or Chicago come closer, but not on 3 blocks.

I think you misread my post. I said that DC takes the cake in terms of highest number of cultural institutions in a concentrated area. I didn't claim that DC has that exact same formula you outlined: a symphony, an opera, two live theaters, and art galleries within 3 blocks (although it very well might...I'd have to check a map). I don't want this to turn into city vs. city either- I am as big of an DTLA booster as anyone; I wouldn't live here if I didn't feel that way. But when I hear someone say that Downtown LA might have "the largest concentration of 'high' cultural institutions on 3 blocks anywhere in the world" when Downtown DC has more by an order of magnitude (28 museums, 10 theaters, the National Symphony, a couple dozen art galleries, a 2 mile long civic park filled with monuments and statues, etc), I just have to point out the absurdity in that claim. Give DC some cred! They don't have a skyline. They don't have the glamour of NY or LA. But cultural institutions are sort of their thing. The whole city was planned around them.

colemonkee · #**10020** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 10:43 PM**

Meanwhile, on the other side of downtown, Suffolk construction fencing showed up over the weekend on the NE corner of Figueroa and Exposition, home of the former Chevron adjacent to the official entrance of USC. The lot has been cleared for a couple of months, but has been surrounded by only chain link fencing. Suffolk Construction fabric shielding has been installed on that fencing and I spotted a water tanker on the site Friday evening on the way home from work.

Not sure what this means, but this week will be the last week that I make this drive, as I'm moving offices to El Segundo. But I'll try to update as much as I can.