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Known internationally for his contemporary and often funky designs, Canadian-born American-based architect Frank Gehry has big things in store for Los Angeles, where his practice is located. One of Gehry's most recognizable local works is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, owing to its shiny curved facade, prominent downtown location and inclusion in several films and television shows. Angelenos have had over ten years to get used to Gehry following the completion of the venue in 2003, and now a host of new proposed projects by the visionary architect aim to redefine several other prominent Los Angeles sites.
Directly across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grand Avenue Project by The Related Companies is seeing some movement after progress was halted due to the recession. Before the economic slowdown, Grand Park was created as the early phase for the project. Since then, a luxury condominium tower has been built, but Parcel Q—where two Gehry-designed towers are planned—has been left empty.
Should the plan for that piece of land go ahead, a 37-storey residential tower will be joined by a 25-storey hotel and office building. The cascading setbacks on both towers create space for retail uses and a new public plaza that will provide great views of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Broad Museum. The fitness company Equinox will operate the hotel, which will likely start construction as a future phase. The first building within Parcel Q should begin to get off the ground in December with the 380-unit residential tower. The first phase is expected to take three years and upwards of $700 million to complete.
In August, L.A. developer Townscape Partners unveiled Gehry's vision for a strip mall site at 8150 Sunset Boulevard that was once home to the famous Garden of Allah Hotel. Demolished in 1959, the hotel welcomed hundreds of celebrity guests, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, Ronald Reagan and Orson Welles. Following an initial plan by Townscape that received considerable criticism, Gehry was brought in to create a mixed-use neighbourhood consisting of apartments, condominiums, retail and public space.
A three-storey building along Sunset Boulevard, clad in curtainwall glass, acts as an invitation to a central, open-air, programmable plaza. Above the retail portion, which could include a grocery store, restaurant, bank and health club, an outdoor terrace would provide an additional open space. To the south, two residential towers at 15 and 11 storeys will house 219 apartments and 30 condominium units. The project is entering the approvals process, which begins with an environmental impact review. While these towers are small compared to many projects in central LA, they are scaled to fit their surroundings and still represent a substantial upgrade from the current use of the site.
On the shores of Santa Monica, which Gehry calls home, a 22-storey hotel and residential tower is planned. The Ocean Avenue Project would feature ground level retail, restaurants and a museum, crowned by a rooftop deck. Gehry's trademark ripple design makes an appearance on the white-coloured facade, helping the building blend in with its beachfront surroundings.
Perhaps Gehry's most ambitious and contentious project is the revitalization of the 51-mile L.A. River. Leading from the San Fernando Valley to the Pacific Ocean, the river lies under layers of concrete poured to dispel the overflow which wreaked havoc on the city in the early 20th century. Though the concrete is unforgiving and bleak to some, to others, it represents L.A.'s grittiness and character. It has been the familiar backdrop to several movie productions, including Terminator 2 and Transformers. Many people were surprised when the L.A. River Revitalization Corporation approached Gehry while drafting a plan to rejuvenate the river. Critics have expressed concern about gentrification and Gehry's resume of undulating and flamboyant buildings, a match they believe might not suit the fragile history of the river.
Gehry intends to balance plans for future development with the necessity of protecting the area from rare flooding, but has also indicated that the concrete banks of the river are worth maintaining. Only concept images have been released, with Gehry's intricate models stacked away in his office, but a 2.5-mile recreational stretch of the Glendale Narrows offers a possible glimpse into the future. Beginning in 2013, this section of the river which is bounded by lush greenery, has been turned over to kayakers and canoeists in the summertime. The massive cost of revitalizing the entire 51-mile stretch, pegged at about $100 million per mile, means that realizing Gehry's vision remains a long way off.
These projects, as well as some of Gehry's most notable previous works, are on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art until March 2016. The museum is honouring Gehry's 50-plus-year career with a retrospective that will give visitors access to photographs, drawings and models of his lengthy building portfolio.
You can also find more information about Gehry's projects by clicking on the dataBase links below. To get involved in the discussion, check out the associated Forum threads or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
