Archinect - News

Frank Gehry’s new SELA Cultural Center design inches forward in Los Angeles

2023-12-21T17:31:00-05:00

The proposed Gehry Partners design of the new SELA Cultural Center in South Gate, Los Angeles, is moving forward with approvals from the L.A. Board of Supervisors.

The project forms a major part of the Rio Hondo portion of the Lower Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan, which is contained in the larger 51-mile-long master plan designed by Gehry to run from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro.

According to Urbanize LA, who reported on the recent approval: “The site sits on the south side of Imperial Highway, and near other upcoming Los Angeles River projects such as South Gate's 30-acre 'Urban Orchard.' Additionally, the cultural center would sit a short distance from the right-of-way of Metro's West Santa Ana Branch light rail line.”

SELA Cultural Center master plan. Image courtesy Gehry Partners & OLIN.

The project will be executed at 85,000 square feet with a site plan from OLIN. Details include an outdoor terrace deck and space for cultural events. Another pavilion structure at ...

OLIN, Agency Artifact envision $4.8 billion ‘Central Park for the San Fernando Valley’

2023-11-03T13:53:00-04:00

The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering has announced plans for a new master plan of the San Fernando Valley’s Sepulveda Basin from OLIN, Agency Artifact, Geosyntec, and a team of collaborating consultants.

The $4.8 billion Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan will unfold over 25 years and covers an area spanning more than 2,000 acres between Van Nuys, Lake Balboa, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, and Encino that is currently considered ‘park-poor’ by urban planning standards, according to Urbanize LA’s report on the announcement Wednesday.

The area includes segments covered in the LA River revitalization plan. The project will rehabilitate existing wildlife areas while installing a total of 46 new projects, some of which are scheduled to be included as venues in the 2028 Olympics. A new civic plaza and pedestrian walk will also be created along Victory Boulevard. Olin says it will become the “‘Central Park’ for the San Fernando Valley.”

Image courtesy City of LA/OLIN

By acreage, the plan covers ...

Frank Gehry & OLIN break ground on new LA River revitalization Headwaters Pavilion

2022-11-21T17:28:00-05:00

In Canoga Park, a groundbreaking ceremony held on November 7 by City and County officials marks the official start of work on a new entry pavilion to the Los Angeles River Greenway. The new pavilion will consist of two buildings, framing an entrance to the river greenway, each featuring public restrooms. The new structures will support a shade canopy displaying public art. Other components include picnic tables, bike racks, and a drinking fountain.

The pavilion is the spearhead of the new “kit of parts” LA River revitalization master plan that was adopted by the county in May and includes the $1 billion-plus Taylor Yard G2 site and a total of 22 other new projects spread along the 51-mile-long course stretching from the San Fernando Valley to its southern terminus in San Pedro.

Previously on Archinect: Frank Gehry gets back in on the LA River action with a new Headwaters Pavilion design

OLIN is a collaborator on the project, which provides restrooms and a shade structure to frame the park's entrance at Bassett Street and Alabama Avenue. Total estimated costs for the design is $5.1 million.

Frank Gehry gets back in on the LA River action with a new Headwaters Pavilion design

2022-08-08T18:04:00-04:00

A few short weeks removed from the greenlighting of its proposed Ocean Avenue project in Santa Monica, Gehry Partners has revealed a new design for a Headwaters Pavilion to the LA River Greenway located within a city-owned plot in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Canoga Park.

Image courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

Urbanize LA is reporting the firm will present its proposal to the city’s Cultural Affairs Commission on Wednesday. It was designed in collaboration with OLIN and will reportedly entail a sculptural shade canopy and public restrooms which frame the park entrance from the north-facing Bassett Street and Alabama Avenue. The total estimated cost of the design is $5.1 million.

Image courtesy OLIN

Pedestrian improvements and added seating amenities are planned for the site as well, along with added water retention infrastructure. Both entities have been involved in the LA River project since its inception seven years ago. Gehry’s role in the project has been heavily-scrutiniz...

Los Angeles County releases final LA River Master Plan

2022-05-23T19:29:00-04:00

The multi-year process that will eventually engender a string of entirely reimagined waterfront plots along the LA River has entered its next phase after county officials released their final master plan last week.

The documents offer an update to the County proposal first introduced in 2016 by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Sheila Kuehl. The plan will now be submitted to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for review at a meeting scheduled for June 14th.

Image via The LA River Master Plan, courtesy Los Angeles County.

Said to create a “kit of parts” that potentially includes the $1 billion-plus Taylor Yard G2 site and a total of 77 others (22 of which are considered new), the master plan is said to provide a “toolkit” for community revitalization that addresses core areas of climate change, biodiversity, homelessness, and gentrification.

Previously on Archinect: L.A. River masterplan updates unveiled

The master plan incorporates the state’s Lower LA River Revitalization Plan a...

The cost of LA River Park's Taylor Yard G2 project could surpass $1 billion according to new Bureau of Engineering study

2022-05-04T11:46:00-04:00

The cost to turn 42 acres of contaminated railroad property on the border of Cypress Park and Glassell Park into a "crown jewel" of riverfront revitalization could top $1 billion. That's according to an updated study by the Bureau of Engineering that will be reviewed today by a City Council committee.

In March 2017, the City of Los Angeles purchased the land, known as the G2 Parcel, for $60 million with the aim to develop a combination of park space, walking trails, wetlands, wildlife habitat, river access, public recreation, and other amenities.

The undertaking, known as the Taylor Yard G2 River Park Project, is a portion of the greaterLos Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, and sets out to unite the surrounding Rio de Los Angeles State Park and the state-owned G1 Parcel, which together would form 100 acres of open space along the LA River.

Previously on Archinect: SPF:architects' anticipated LA River pedestrian bridge opens to the public with a unifying gesture

While a major milestone in the project was reached last month with the completion of the SPF:architects-designed Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge, the cost of the G2 revitalization has soared since the start.

As reported by The Eastsider, between 2016 and 2019 the cost jumped from $252 million to $798.2 million, whi...

SPF:architects' anticipated LA River pedestrian bridge opens to the public with a unifying gesture

2022-04-27T09:00:00-04:00

A major milestone in the ongoing LA River revitalization has been reached after SPF:architects announced the completion of its new Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge earlier this month.

Connecting an area north of Dodger Stadium known as Elysian Valley to the neighboring Cypress Park district, the bridge sits on a 42-acre former railway site and has been given the nickname ‘Rumblefish’ by its creators. The bridge takes its namesake and vibrant orange color from a lesser-known Francis Ford Coppola film that SPF:a felt reflected the same ideas of cohesion and brotherly unity expressed in its architecture and will thus serve as the most important piece of infrastructure in the larger Taylor Yard G2 River Park Project currently being undertaken by LA’s Bureau of Engineering.

Photo: Mike Kelley

Construction on the bridge began in 2019 and eventually yielded a 400-foot box-trussed span, in touch with the area’s industrial character and opposing elevations, with two cantilevered central viewing ...

L.A.'s new Sixth Street Viaduct makes construction progress and shines at the Venice Biennale

2021-06-02T17:22:00-04:00

The Michael Maltzan Architecture-designed Sixth Street Viaduct is slowly taking shape in Los Angeles as new photos by LA Times photojournalist Allen J. Schaben show.

The $588 million bridge project, the biggest in the city's history, emerged as the winning entry in the 2012 design competition for a new bridge to replace the original 1932 structure and connect Downtown LA with the Boyle Heights neighborhood across the Los Angeles River, the 101 Freeway, 18 sets of railroad tracks, and a new park.

The design team also includes HNTB (Engineer and Executive Architect), Hargreaves Associates (Landscape Architect), and AC Martin (Urban Planning).

Take a look at some recent construction snapshots below and in this recent Los Angeles Times article.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Los Angeles Times (@latimes)

Meanwhile in Italy, the Sixth Street Viaduct project is on display at the recently opened 2021 Venice Biennale in the Emerging Communities section in th...

L.A. River masterplan updates unveiled

2021-01-29T12:03:00-05:00

Los Angeles County unveiled its draft update to the L.A. River master plan, the document intended to guide the development of new parks and water quality projects along the 51-mile corridor, while also accounting for potential displacement and equity issues in neighboring communities.

The new document was formed with input from thousands of residents, with online materials receiving nearly one million impressions, Urbanize LA reports. Frank Gehry is leading the masterplan effort in collaboration with Philadelphia-based landscape architecture firm OLIN.

The masterplan focuses heavily on open space, transportation, and water quality, in addition to "elevated platform parks" intended to cover the existing concrete channel in lieu of removing it. The draft plan is available for review and public comment through March 14 at LARiverMasterPlan.org.

Frank Gehry proposes capping parts of the LA River with elevated platform parks

2021-01-11T15:52:00-05:00

Critics, including some influential environmental groups, would prefer to see naturalization of the river itself. But during a recent Zoom call from his Los Angeles studio, a grin crossed the Pritzker Prize winner’s face as he shared his plans to transform the forlorn industrial confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Rio Hondo in South Gate into an urban cultural park like no other.

It's been relatively quiet around the ambitious Los Angeles River revitalization project since Frank Gehry's firm was selected to lead the master plan effort in 2015.

Now the Los Angeles Times has revealed an update — although sparse in detail — which instead of the naturalization of the 51-mile LA River concrete channel many were expecting proposes a few elevated platform parks capping stretches of the river bed as well as a $150-million cultural center near the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Rio Hondo in South Gate.

"Constructed on hulking concrete planks and enormous girders, the earthen parks would stretch nearly a mile over both rivers and support a lush landscape of trees, grass, scenic ponds, horse trails and walking paths," reports Louis Sahagún for the paper.

SPF:architects to begin construction on LA River Bridge in 2019

2018-04-25T19:28:00-04:00

SPF:architects (SPF:a) has just released new renderings for Rumblefish, a 400-foot pedestrian bridge spanning across the LA River and connecting Elysian Valley (Frogtown) to Taylor Yard, a 42-acre industrial parcel and former rail yard site at the center of the city’s river revitalization plans.

Rumblefish bridge rendering over the Los Angeles River. © SPF:architects

The name Rumblefish refers to the 1983 Coppola film about rival gangs which the firm chose as a symbolic gesture to the area’s own history of gang violence. SPF:a envisions the officially-named Taylor Yard Bikeway & Pedestrian Bridge as a peaceful community collision.

Rumblefish bridge rendering over the Los Angeles River. © SPF:architects

Influenced by classic railway bridges and the mid-20th century Los Angeles Case Study Houses, the simple geometric design and deliberate choice to employ the lightest structural elements possible (tube steel, wide f...

New LA River renderings reveal potential designs for the massive revitalization project

2018-03-20T00:31:00-04:00

A wide array of projects big and small are now moving forward alongside all 51 miles of the Los Angeles River, and some of the most comprehensive planning is taking place along the river’s southern portion, from Vernon to Long Beach.

As part of the ongoing Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan, Perkins + Will have recently released renderings of what their contribution could look like. The overall Los Angeles River plan includes proposals varying in size and location. The largest proposals include revitalizing expansive sections along the river to create public spaces with trails, bridges, bike and walking paths, landscaping, and seating areas.

A new rendering features terraced seating and access to the river bed itself. Image: Perkins + Will.

Rendering of a shared street concept by the river in Cudahy.

Rendering of a trail near the Rio Hondo confluence.

Rendering of a boardwalk near Willow Street in Long Beach.

Catch up on all the news around the Los Angeles River Revitalization Projects here.

Mia Lehrer and WSP recommended for LA River's Taylor Yard

2017-09-22T13:21:00-04:00

Regardless of the pricey remediation, the 41-acre property has long been considered a key element to the large-scale ecological restoration of the LA River. The city purchased the G2 parcel in March, paying nearly $60 million.

The city’s bureau of engineering recommends engineering firm WSP, with Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer, for the transformation of the G2. WSP and Lehrer are collaborating with Mujeres de la Tierra, a non-profit public health organization based in Cypress Park, on the project.

Part of Taylor Yard, the Southern Pacific's former classification Yard, the G2 parcel has been named the crown jewel of the LA revitalization project by LA Mayor Garcetti. The site, now abandoned for over three decades, is highly contaminated and unlikely to open as park for another three to five years.

The city's recommendation has been shared with the public works department which will have the last word on the G2 contract.

Seven firms release new renderings for LA River restoration projects

2017-06-19T19:49:00-04:00

The City of Los Angeles and its Bureau of Engineering recently worked with seven design firms to reenvision seven sections of the L.A. River through Downtown Los Angeles. The conceptual images that resulted from this process have reimagined the river banks with open space, play areas, public art, new connections and development.

In partnership with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and the Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's office, seven firms have released preliminary visioning plans for a segment of the Los Angeles river. Running through downtown, the seven-mile stretch begins at the southern tip of the Frogtown neighborhood and ends at Redondo Junction. Each firm was given a different segment to plan and was asked to consider river-adjacent projects already in plan as well as anticipated development along the stretch such as a potential extension of the Red Line subway.

Working on the stretch from Barclay to Spring Street between I-110 and the northern border of Chinatown, Gruen Associates proposed reconfiguring the existing rail yard with a meadow and public paths.

WSP's proposal of the stretch starting at Spring Street and continuing on to Cesar Chavez Avenue, involves a series of stepped terraces that gradually meet at the existing river bottom.

CH2M's proposal continues on from Cesar...

BIG proposes massive, gridded development for the LA Arts District

2016-12-12T13:15:00-05:00

Bjarke Ingels Group is the latest big fish to join the development frenzy along the LA River in advance of its rehabilitation. The Gallo family, of vinous fame, has commissioned the Copenhagen/New York-based firm to create a proposal for a city block-sized development in the Arts District. The building, which would comprise two connected buildings reaching 30 stories tall in some places, is for a site along the edge of the LA River not far from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and Michael Maltzan’s prone behemoth, One Santa Fe.

In total, the project, dubbed 670 Mesquit, would contain nearly 800,000 sq. ft. of office space, two boutique hotels, 250 rental units and a slew of restaurants and shops. Following the strictures of Measure JJJ, which passed by a wide margin in the last election, the building would have 41 affordable units. Additionally, the building would host a small museum or public sculpture park that would connect to a massive “deck” stretching over the ...

“To ignore this is to ignore one of the great resources of the region": Frank Gehry on the LA River Revitalization project

2016-09-06T14:00:00-04:00

River LA, formerly the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation, has posted a video interview with Frank Gehry about his work on the LA River revitalization project. The nonprofit organization works to build public support for the project.

“I think when I started it I had trepidation,” Gehry begins. “I had the feeling that it was more major than I was thinking of it.”

He goes on the explain that “the river is a complicated organism”, and therefore the project has mainly comprised in-depth research up to this point. “Like any design problem I had to really study it,” he states.

According to Gehry, a quarter of Californians live within 30 miles of the river, which underscores both its importance and potential. “To ignore this is to ignore one of the great resources of the region,” he states.

The appointment of Gehry as the lead architect of the LA river revitalization has been controversial. Long-time advocates for the project have expressed feeling left out of the decision, which so...

A look at some cities revitalizing their blighted rivers

2016-08-24T13:52:00-04:00

Los Angeles wants to rethink its river. [...] And LA isn’t the only metropolis looking to reclaim its once-mocked waterway. Cities around the world are realizing that water can be a cultural and recreational asset, not something to hide or pillage, and it seems no waterway will be wasted for long.

Will Gehry's L.A. River plan result in water savings?

2016-08-04T12:53:00-04:00

For decades, the concrete-lined L.A. River has been more famous for being a bone-dry iconic conduit for films like Terminator 2 than a major watery artery, but that may change: in a talk with Christopher Hawthorne on Monday, Frank Gehry mentioned that his design may just save the city significant amounts of cash when it comes to buying water. Per the Hollywood Reporter:

The river, which was bound in concrete beginning in the late 1930s after a series of damaging floods, is also frequently blamed for wasting water, one of Los Angeles’ most embattled resources. Because the river’s concrete binding was designed to channel floodwaters swiftly into the ocean and away from properties on the banks, the city now loses more than 28.6 billion gallons of water a year, according to River L.A., a nonprofit working with Gehry’s firm and funded in part by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

“We think we can save the city one-third of what it now pays for imported water,” Gehry said in conversati...

What's happening with Frank Gehry's masterplan for the LA River?

2016-06-20T17:44:00-04:00

River LA is less interested in giving a clear picture of what Gehry’s plan eventually may include than in tamping down charges that it has been born of secrecy — and worries that it may operate as a Trojan horse, a kind of high-design architectural cover, for rampant real-estate speculation [...] A central goal of this master plan... will be to strike an effective balance between maintaining flood-control measures while opening up the river to new kinds of public access.

The two designers from Gehry's office leading research on the River's masterplan, Tensho Takemori and Anand Devarajan, emphasize that the approach now is about learning, not designing: “This is just meant to be information,” said Takemori. “There’s no designs, no proposals or anything like that.” Devarajan adds, “We’ve tried to take an inform-ourselves approach before we make any decisions about what’s right and what’s wrong.”

While nothing close to an official proposal has yet been discussed by River LA (formerly known as Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation), Christopher Hawthorne does interpret information from their website as hints about what might lie in store for the River:

One section, “Water Recharge,” suggests that by redesigning the river to capture more storm water — directing it to aquifers rather than allowing it to flow via the river out to sea — the region could decrease its reliance on water imported from other parts of California and the Western U.S. by as mu...