Hollywood Urban Planning Pop-Up Shop
James Rojas
Opening: Sunday, January 22, 2 p.m.
January 22-29
Come join the Woodbury School of Architecture and James Rojas at Woodbury University Hollywood Gallery (WUHO). Re-envision the neighborhood with the Hollywood Urban Planning Pop-Up Shop, featuring workshops and an interactive urban diorama by James Rojas, with construction help from Woodbury School of Architecture students.
The Hollywood Urban Planning Shop is a community engagement project that critiques the design of cities today by asking the public to re-imagine Hollywood. The question every Pop-Up Shop visitor must ask his or herself is, “What would Hollywood look like if we rebuilt it today?” The project harnesses the power of the collective community imagination to create an interactive diorama of Hollywood, as it could be. Residents, tourists, visitors—the public—will reflect on, explore, experiment, and ultimately craft their image of a city.
The more than 30-foot long model is made out of foam core, metal window screen, moss, construction paper, and other found materials, which represent the built features of Hollywood. Sized to graphically demonstrate the urban scale, the model depicts Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards as they run westward from the Barnsdall House at Vermont Avenue to the northern end of Fairfax Avenue. Wood blocks, tile, jewelry, plastic game pieces, and other available materials constitute the conceptual representation of built form. Iconic structures, such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Capitol Records, and the Arc Light, are detailed and painted to mirror the actual landmarks and to provide context. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the model and move the buildings around, departing from the current skyline.Participants rearrange, rebuild, and place the structures anywhere in the geography.
The interactive diorama creates a powerful tool to bring together all ages, races and genders to participate in creating a vision for the future of Hollywood. Returning the city builders back to the sand box means there are no wrong or right impulses. Participants inspire each other with their vision of Hollywood.
About James Rojas
James Rojas is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. He is one of the few nationally recognized urban planners to examine U.S. Latino cultural influences on urban design. He holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Science of Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His influential thesis on the Latino built environment has been widely cited.
Rojas founded the Latino Urban Forum (LUF), a volunteer advocacy group, dedicated to understanding and improving the built environment of Los Angeles’ Latino communities. LUF has recruited urban planners, architects, artists, and public administrators to lend their knowledge and influence to innovate and address the issues of the underserved, and often underprivileged, Latino communities of Los Angeles.
Rojas’ method to engage youth, immigrants, and women in the urban planning process has been highly successful and replicated. He has facilitate over 150 interactive workshops and created over 43 interactive urban diorama across the country. He has collaborated with municipalities, non-profits, educational institutions, museums and galleries to educate the public on urban planning.
Woodbury University Hollywood Gallery (WUHO)
WUHO is Woodbury University’s center for experimental exhibitions and multi-disciplinary collaborations. The gallery is shared with the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design. Located on the iconic Hollywood Walk-of-Fame, WUHO is a gallery, event space, and lecture venue.
WUHO
6518 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Located between Wilcox Ave. and Schrader Blvd.
Hollywood & Highland nearest metro stop
Gallery Hours:
Thursday: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
