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

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Enclosed parking garages, whether above or under ground, require pretty expensive ventilation and circulation systems to mitigate exposure to carbon monoxide from car exhaust. In the case of the Wilshire, the developers probably did the math on having a complete glass enclosure and a more expensive ventilation system on the garage portion, and opted for a more open design instead. It's a pity, because they easily could have made a partially covered glass enclosure that mimicked the fenestration pattern of the tower, with every other panel open air, and it would have looked a lot better and likely wouldn't have resulted in a more robust ventilation system. But I would wager that that would still add several million dollars to the cost of the project in materials and labor, so they took it out of the design from the get-go.

Sunset & Gordon looks pretty awfully value-engineered. Whoever thought those iron balcony railings would make a decent replacement within this design aesthetic should have their AIA membership revoked immediately. And be locked in a cell with the majority of TCA's design architects.

Let's make it more punitive and chain them together.

[Quixote]

Google Maps Satellite View shows the lot directly north of Sunset Gordon to be a pile of dirt. That project is The Gordon. Click on the link for a high-resolution image.


http://www.americancommunities.net/w...5/Gordon.1.jpg

The design won't be winning a Pritzker Price anytime soon, but it should be a decent looking building when finished. There's a pretty good looking apartment building across the street and the beautiful Metropol is just up the block:


http://www.metropolhollywood.com/ima.../home_pic4.jpg

Now throw in Columbia Square, Palladium Towers, Millennium Hollywood, Sunset Bronson Studios, Selma and Vine, BLVD 6200, and the proposed office building next to Sunset Gordon and you have a legitimate boom!

[kelbeen]

I don't specifically take photos of development but here are some that were captured in my photos.

The "Waffle" building could be seen in the center foreground of the photo
Buildinglosangeles mentioned this structure from October:
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.c...den-tract.html


DSC_0639 by Kelifornia, on Flickr

Spaghetti Factory Building, and on the very left you could see that an old building is going through some sort of restoration.

Hollywood Freeway by Kelifornia, on Flickr

6200 Hollywood:

Untitled by Kelifornia, on Flickr


Untitled by Kelifornia, on Flickr

Driveway?

Untitled by Kelifornia, on Flickr

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by kelbeen

Spaghetti Factory Building, and on the very left you could see that an old building is going through some sort of restoration.

Hollywood Freeway by Kelifornia, on Flickr

Love this pic.

[112597jorge]

Originally Posted by eclipse

Love this pic.

me too

[Quixote]

West Hollywood Park redesign:





















http://www.wehoville.com/2013/12/10/...redevelopment/

[bobbyv]

^^^looks like a Texas office park

[Quixote]

^ I don't know what you're talking about... at all.

All three designs are viable proposals, each possessing their merits.

LWI is definitely my least favorite of the three. From what I see in the rendering, the park is elevated and rather barricaded from the sidewalk. The open, expansive grass lawn is nice.

My preference is RCH's design. While the lawn/garden space may be a tad bit (just a tad) overdone, it's still beautiful. They put much more thought into the stair design than FFP and the rooftop garden (an actual garden, not just a series of planter boxes) is a nice touch.

[inSaeculaSaeculorum]

Yeah I hope they go with RCH too. I'm loving all the greenspace in that proposal.

[Quixote]

Once again, West Hollywood sets itself apart from the rest of LA metro (even Santa Monica). It is without question the closest thing we have to true urbanism in the Southland. The big missing piece is a subway underneath Santa Monica Blvd. After that, all you'd need to do is widen some sidewalks here and paint some continental crosswalks there and you'd have a legit, quality urban 'hood.

[DJM19]

WeHo is nice but its not as good as Downtown if you are looking for true urbanism.

[Quixote]

^ DTLA is a given, so I'm inclined to exclude it. It will continue to densify, regardless of what's happening in the rest of the city. It very much exists on its own island (bounded by three freeways and the LA River).

We need more than just an urban city center in LA. Portland and Pittsburgh can get away it, but here in LA we need miles and miles of neighborhoods with solid medium-level density (3-6 stories) bounded by walkable corridors and rail stations (subway and light rail).

The place closest to matching that description is West Hollywood. It's a great model for the rest of LA metro.

And given all the activity Hollywood is seeing at the moment, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Hollywood -- specifically the area bounded by Franklin, Fountain, La Brea, and Bronson -- could become a legit urban neighborhood in 10-15 years. The transit's already there, but we need a more consistent critical mass of mid-rise and high-rise.

Santa Monica, as great as its reputation is, has a ways to go if you take a look at everything east of Lincoln. But they are getting a rail line in a few years and the city is pro-density (for the most part), so we'll see.

[inSaeculaSaeculorum]

It's probably more accurate to say WeHo does urban policy better than the rest of LA Metro, rather than saying that it is more urban.

[blackcat23]

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.c...ngs-under.html

K2LA update







All three buildings now underway. The entire thing should be finished in Fall/Winter 2014.

[elcoronel]

Why can't the other buildings be white too. There's a strange fascination in this city with light brown.

Also, do these buildings have no street level retail?

[Quixote]

Pretty decent infill, but yes it's stucco. Cue the rants.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by elcoronel

Why can't the other buildings be white too. There's a strange fascination in this city with light brown.

Also, do these buildings have no street level retail?

Totally agree. And not just light brown/tan/beige, but a weird affinity for bright orange and yellow and even puke green (Glo).

A stucco building can look nice if it's white with quality windows, nice railings, and lush landscaping.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by elcoronel

Why can't the other buildings be white too. There's a strange fascination in this city with light brown.

Also, do these buildings have no street level retail?

No street level retail because they are on a residential street. None of the buildings on that street have it.

[elcoronel]

Ah I see. It's not on a purely residential street but a residential section.

[Muji]

I can't agree more on the light vs. dark stucco problem. I find dull orange to be truly the worst offender on lots of rehabs nowadays. K2LA's design is pretty uninspired, but I would still love to see all of the vacant lots on the blocks just off of Wilshire filled up with similar buildings. I'm hoping that by next year, the new residents in K2LA and the Vermont will build up enough critical mass for some substantial new retail in the neighborhood.

Just for laughs, I'm sure we can all imagine the flame wars that would happen if K2LA made its way into the Downtown forum.