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. — Los Angeles Times
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.
7 Comments
Come on man, we don’t need any more hulking concrete on the river, we have enough. Just fucking proceed with the plan to soften the riverbed and create more riparian habitats.’
Yes mon. Let nature back in. If anything, cap the freek'n highways.
This section is just stupid
Make the high tension towers out of great, hulking concrete and put the highway IN THE SKY, MAN.
Ugh, they should look at some of the best buffers and greenway storm run-off designs in Singapore. More nature less concrete.
This is such a terrible idea - this is an opportunity and capping the river will push that opportunity back another 100 years:
Gehry studied the river for several years and then proposes a solution that is an expensive way to pretend the river doesn't exist.
If you want to see how hard it is for the river to be a river again - study the unpaved areas around Griffith Park - the river meanders, creates pools and tailouts just on its own and doesn't need to be 'designed' it just needed the breathing room that was created by the work of groups like FOLAR
Look at the work that Mia Lehrer has done studying the river for the last 30 years that takes into account the safety issues and allows the LA River to be a river again.
As an architect, a native of Los Angeles, and a fly fisherman who has spent alot of time on the LA River I cant understand why Frank Gehry wants to do this.
I have great respect for Frank Gehry but in this situation this plan is just plain BassAckwards. FOLAR (Friends of the LA River) have worked tirelessly for years to secure federal status for the LA River as a navigable river in order to secure fed funding to make it even more of a "river" again. FOLAR has a beautiful naturalistic plan in place that will bring the river back to more natural state, develop parkland adjacent to the river and flood basins for recreation and flood control. If anything Gehry should take an advisory role on their plan and lend his celebrity architect status to moving the project forward. Mayor Garcetti pre-empted a vital grassroots movement for the LA River in favor of a shallow celebrity solution. Garcetti needs to be a mayor of the people of LA not of his own ego by overlooking years of work for a celebrity architects solution to put a roof on a river. His solution is simplistic and shortsighted but his payday is abundant. I for one disagree completely with Gehry's sophomoric solution and Garcetti's blindness to FOLAR's plan. Give the people what they want...A RIVER!
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