Arch. Myriam B. Mahiques Curriculum Vitae

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

LAPD Motor Transport Division + Main Street Parking John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects

This render doesn´t show the cars crowding the street, it looks weird, but nice anyway
See the dull buildings in the perspective. Still the cars are absent, but believe me, usually there is only a few walking in this street.


If there is a design that´s difficult to resolve when we think of aesthetics, it´s parking structures. In my city, Buenos Aires, they are built underground because we don´t have earthquakes. In California, most parkings structures are built above ground, as earthquakes are continuously shaking the cities.
Old parkings in Los Angeles are really awful, grey monsters spread everywhere. There´s a colorful one in Santa Monica, my favorite up till now that I´ve seen this project. I´m anxious to see the bright green panels, and I hope it´s not just an illusion for the night.
From architectural record:

¨The historic core of Downtown L.A. is on the upswing. Neglected commercial properties and prewar buildings abandoned during the latter half of the 20th century are being converted into residential lofts and art galleries, and St. Vibiana, the city’s former cathedral, which was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, has been restored and renovated into an elegant event space. Needless to say, the community was less than welcoming when they got wind of the LAPD’s plans to build a vehicular parking and maintenance facility on Main Street, the burgeoning Gallery Row, adjacent to the revamped church.
Taking their cues from the area’s cultural vibe, JFAK employed a whimsical combination of materiality, color, transparency, and light to minimize the impact of the 300,000-square-foot, five-story concrete structure. And although the architects incorporated an 800-car employee garage in addition to a mechanics shop, car wash, and refueling station for official vehicles, the program is subliminal.¨
Keep on reading:

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