Archinect - News

Pershing Square redesign inches forward in Downtown Los Angeles

2021-04-21T15:45:00-04:00

[...] the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission signed off the initial phase of the long-proposed remodel of Pershing Square. [...] The first phase of the project, as detailed in a presentation from Gruen Associates partner Debra Gerod, would focus on the Olive Street side of the park. The most visible of the proposed changes is the removal of the cafe building, creating space for a new landscaped plaza with outdoor seating.

French landscape practice Agence Ter, working in collaboration with Los Angeles-based firms SALT Landscape Architects, Deborah Murphy Urban Design + Planning, Rachel Allen Architecture, among others, won the 2016 international design competition to redesign Pershing Square, the oldest public park in Downtown LA. Gruen Associates is the architect of record on the project.

Previously on Archinect: Redevelopment plans for L.A.'s Pershing Square shift

For more project details, take a look at the April 14, 2021 Cultural Affairs Commission Presentation.

Downtown LA skyscraper with cantilevered glass-bottom swimming pools gets thumbs-up from city planning commission

2019-09-13T15:02:00-04:00

Plans for what could become one of Downtown’s most unique-looking skyscrapers received unanimous approval today from the city’s planning commission. With cantilevered swimming pools jutting out of its upper floors, the tower proposed for across the street from Pershing Square has been said to look like an in-progress game of Jenga. Commissioner Samantha Millman called it an “ambitious and audacious project.”

The Arquitectonica-designed 53-story hotel and condo tower with its precariously cantilevering glass-bottom swimming pools (hey, it's LA!) first appeared on Archinect last fall and quickly became the subject of much debate.

Additional renderings were released in May this year.

Image courtesy of Arquitectonica

If all goes as planned, JMF Development Co. aims to have the 784-foot tower completed by 2023.

Redevelopment plans for L.A.'s Pershing Square shift

2019-06-25T12:13:00-04:00

Plans for the much-touted Pershing Square Renew project in Los Angeles appear to be shifting.

Curbed reports that three years after being selected as the winning entry for an international competition to redesign the five-acre postmodern urban park, a team led by French landscape architects Agence Ter has shifted gears. Pershing Square is the oldest park in Los Angeles and its latest iteration was designed in 1996 by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. The team's winning "radical flatness"-focused proposal has instead given way to a phased approach that will focus demolishing an existing concessions stand at the park in order to replace the structure with a new set of elevators serving the below-ground parking garage located beneath the park.

Pershing Square's latest iteration was designed in 1994 by Ricardo Legorreta. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user jjron.

The remaining plans involve other small fixes that focus on “taking down as many barriers as we can,” Debra Girod, a partner...

New renders of a tower planned across the Pershing Square

2019-05-15T13:54:00-04:00

The 5th and Hill development, slated for an L-shaped property wrapping the historic Pershing Square Building, is a product of real estate investment firm JMF Development Co. Plans call for the construction of a 53-story, 784-foot-tall building which could feature either 1) 160 condominiums or 2) a combination of 31 condominiums and a 190-room hotel. Both use options include a mix of restaurant space and amenities, with parking to be located in a five-level podium and two subterranean levels.

The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee is holding a public meeting on the 21st of May, where one of the projects discussed will be the proposed 53-story tower, new images of which have recently been made public.

The mixed-use structure is designed by Arquitectonica and features an array of protruding masses that begin as balconies, and increase in size to become cantilevered glass-bottom pools toward the top of the tower.

Image courtesy of Arquitectonica

The project is estimated to be completed in 2023.

Arquitectonica designs a 53-story Jenga-like tower near LA's Pershing Square

2018-11-05T13:49:00-05:00

JMF Development Co. [...] hopes to construct a 53-story tower on the vacant, L-shaped lot which wraps the historic structure. [...] Arquitectonica is designing the proposed 784-foot-tall glass-and-steel tower, which is highlighted by a collection of cantilevered, glass-bottom pools for residents on the building's upper levels. While some of the protrusions would extend over the Pershing Square Building, none would hover above the public right-of-way.

Image: JMF Development Co., via urbanize.la.

A rather dramatic example of the stacked-boxes scheme might go up at 5th and Hill, near Pershing Square, in Downtown Los Angeles soon.

Designed by Arquitectonica, JMF Development Co. proposes the 53-story tower with its fiercely protruding glass-bottom swimming pools as two potential options: few condominiums + hotel/restaurant if signs of a lurking next recession became clearer vs. plenty of condos + ground-floor retail space if the economic outlook stays strong.

Agence Ter and Team wins Pershing Square Renew with “radically flat“ proposal

2016-05-12T18:00:00-04:00

The Pershing Square Renew initiative revealed Agence Ter and Team as the winners of the competition to redesign Downtown L.A.'s oldest public park, exactly two weeks after the four finalist teams delivered their final presentations. The winning consortium is led by French landscape practice Agence Ter, whose major landscape work is largely based in Europe. Agence Ter collaborated with L.A.-based firms like SALT Landscape Architects, Deborah Murphy Urban Design + Planning, Rachel Allen Architecture, as well as arts programming organization Community Arts Resources LA.

Titled “The Dynamic Heart of Los Angeles”, the proposal is a plaza-park hybrid that would clear out the walls, ramps, and other such barriers along Pershing Square's perimeter, and transform the Square into an open rectangular lawn. Other elements include a “smart canopy” that provides shade during the day and lights up at night, a reflection pool, and new gardens and grassy lawns.

“Because we believe that too much t...

Take a peek at the latest Pershing Square Renew finalist proposals

2016-04-28T19:14:00-04:00

As part of a broader vision to revitalize Downtown Los Angeles, City Councilmember Jose Huizar spearheaded the creation of the public-private partnership Pershing Square Renew, which aims to overhaul and redesign Pershing Square into a new town square...The finalist proposals have received plenty of scrutiny over the last few months, but the public will get to hear from the architects themselves tonight when they present their concepts at the Downtown Palace Theater in L.A.

↓ James Corner Field Operations with Frederick Fisher & Partners

↓ Agence TER and Team

↓ SWA with Morphosis

↓ wHY with Civitas

See more of each proposal on Bustler.

Previously on Archinect:

A critical look at Downtown L.A.'s ambitious plans for two new public parks

Take a look at these bold visions for Downtown LA's next park

Pershing Square Renew competition narrows down to four finalist teams

A critical look at Downtown L.A.'s ambitious plans for two new public parks

2016-02-26T21:24:00-05:00

One thing, though, is different this time around. These days the city and county are busy investing money and lavishing attention on public spaces across L.A. — and even producing some from scratch...In a range of ways, Southern California is beginning to make up for neglecting its public realm for the bulk of the postwar era.

With two park design competitions currently underway (linked below), Downtown L.A. is eager to boost its amount of green space. But will those ambitious plans pan out in a tricky cityscape? Christopher Hawthorne gives his two cents on the potential of each park.

Previously on Archinect:

Take a look at these bold visions for Downtown LA's next park

Pershing Square Renew competition narrows down to four finalist teams

2015-12-21T20:53:00-05:00

Back in October, the Pershing Square Renew non-profit group revealed 10 big-name semifinalist teams in a competition to redesign Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. City Councilmember Jose Huizar formed the Pershing Square Task Force in the summer of 2013 with the goal 'to re-envision Pershing Square' into a new town square with better public access, fresh landscaping and the like, to what they believe would further spruce up the evolving city.

According to PSR, the park has been constantly overlooked for redevelopment. Inevitably, not everyone agrees the historic park should be revamped.

Nearly two months later, the competition is now down to the final four proposals:

Agence TER with SALT Landscape Architects

SWA with Morphosis

James Corner Field Operations with Frederick Fisher & Partners

wHY with Civitas

The teams will prepare for jury interviews and a public presentation in early 2016, and the public will also have the chance to give feedback before the jury selects the winning team. For now, the winning team will be announced next April.

Get a closer look of each proposal and other details on Bustler.