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.
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.
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 flange steel, and steel rods) create the impression that the bright orange bridge is floating across the river.
The architecture of Rumblefish is essentially the visual equivalent to an oversized box truss sloping from east to west. Like the bridge’s overall design, the connecting river path similarly seems to float within the steel beam medley, as the walkway tilts to meet the different elevations of the banks while the exterior structure itself remains level.
In February, the City Council committed $21.7 million to the bridge. The Bureau of Engineering is planning to award the project this summer, followed by bidding the project and additional necessary pre-construction tasks. Major construction will begin in April of 2019 with an expected opening date in the second half of 2020.
3 Comments
Hi there - The headline here is misleading. The project work will begin this summer, but we will not begin construction until seasonal work regulations allow us back into the LA River after the rainy season ends, which will be April 2019. Thanks!
Thank you for catching that!
Living in the Midwest with lots of steel and sometimes wood bridges that evoke this design, I wonder if the structure is above the likely flood level? If not it could be a problem keeping it free of debris. It looks nice, the promontories at the deep points of the river are a nice feature.
Over and OUT
Peter N
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