Archinect - News

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 ...

Top 7 Reasons to Oppose the Los Angeles Neighborhood Integrity Initiative

2016-03-04T19:12:00-05:00

Since I think there are a lot of folks out there who genuinely haven't made up their minds about the initiative, or aren’t familiar with it yet, I'd like to summarize some of the most important reasons to oppose it when it comes time to vote this November. -

The looming battle for the future of development in Los Angeles is becoming more and more pronounced. One wonders if the public will ever grasp the relevance to their lives and vote with reliable information in coming November for this crucial issue?

In this age of rapid commodification of the cities, what is happening in L.A. can easily come to your city.If it didn't already that is.

Previously in Archinect,
Planning War Zone: The Battle for L.A.

What's the Big Deal‽ – Assemble, Serpentine and YAP winners, and BIG controversy on Archinect Sessions #52, with special guest co-host Will Galloway

2016-02-11T18:25:00-05:00

Long-time Archinector and reliably sane commentator Will Galloway joins us from his base in Tokyo to discuss the weekly news, including his interview with Assemble, crucially taking place mere weeks before they won the Turner Prize. While news from Bjarke Ingels Group commanded the feistiest comment threads this week – with renderings of BIG's spiraling Hudson Yards tower provoking debate over craft in skyscrapers, and the firm being selected to design the Serpentine Pavilion for 2016 in their last last eligible year – recent news included big wins for firms both star-studded and unknown. MoMA PS1 named Escobedo Solíz Studio as the 2016 winner of its Young Architects Program, for their "Weaving the Courtyard" submission, while Dame Zaha Hadid received her RIBA Gold Medal (the first woman to win solo). Lastly, for you planning wonks, we throw in a brief discussion of a controversial proposed ballot measure to halt big developments in Los Angeles.

Listen to episode 52 of Archinect Se...

"Prop S" Planning War Zone: The Battle for L.A.

2016-02-03T20:49:00-05:00

Poised to be the mother of all the initiatives ever to impact the built environment of the city in a while, a proposed ballot initiative called the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, sponsored by a group called the Coalition to Preserve L.A. (CPLA), is the talk of the architecture, planning and developer circles at the moment.

Initially underwritten by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, who emphasizes, among other reasons, the idea that densification can be a public health issue. The proposed initiative has the potential of stopping all the large scale development in Los Angeles. It aims to put a halt on the "vibrant" urban lifestyle which the developers, their political representatives and good number of gentrification people have been advocating at the cost of minorities, low-income communities and the majority of L.A.'s residents who have been struggling to come up with the outrageous rents month after month until they finally fall victim to substandard housing, homelessness or move...