Host Frances Anderton looks at design and architecture from a Los Angeles perspective.
Smithsonian's newest museum is a striking homage to African-American history and culture. We get the inside scoop from the architects and reviews from critics on the building and its artifacts. And move over NIMBYs: the pro-development, YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) movement is heating up across the country, and here in Los Angeles.
Utopian thinking is back, as Silicon Valley envisions smart cities. Is there anything to learn from an older social and architectural experiment in the Arizona desert? We visit Arcosanti. And, when you see artwork in museums and galleries, does all the credit belong to the artist? A new show at LACMA puts the spotlight on LA's printmakers behind the fine art.
The Neighborhood Integrity Initiative is measure on the March 2017 ballot that would restrict development in Los Angeles. Folks behind NII are supporting another slow-growth ballot measure - this one in Santa Monica. DnA on ATC looks at LUVE, or Measure LV and asks what it means for downtown Santa Monica, and the region.
Uber is launching a fleet of semi-autonomous cars on the streets of Pittsburgh. What does this mean for the design of the city and for Uber drivers? And what will it feel like to be a passenger in a driverless car of the future? Plus, an artist draws plans of the imaginary homes of his favorite TV sitcoms.
From Santa Monica to Boyle Heights, residents are fighting development. Are their concerns connected? And is slowing growth the answer to maintaining affordable housing across the region? DnA reports from the most and the least affluent communities in the Southland.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is moving forward with a plan to replace four buildings on its campus with a new building designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Critics say the building is dark, monolithic, and would disrupt the flow of Wilshire Boulevard. Others describe it as "restrained" and "calm" and a good fit for an institution like LACMA.
Los Angeles architect William Pereira is getting renewed interest, as two of his prominent works are set to be torn down. And Tracy Tynan, a costume designer in LA, talks about she found meaning in clothing during a chaotic childhood.
Simone Manuel's Olympic win has put a spotlight on the history and politics of access to aquatics. Swimming in America has a history of racial exclusion. DnA visited the newly-rebuilt Central Recreation Center Pool in South LA to learn what the City of Los Angeles is doing to create "access and opportunity" for all.
Simone Manuel's Olympic win highlights the politics of access to public swimming pools. We visit a gorgeous, newly-restored pool in South LA and ask if the color barrier to swimming has been lifted. And private murals and public installations are turning the outdoors into a gallery. What's behind the explosion of public art?
If you have visitors in town and you want to show them some art, do you take them to a museum or gallery, or do you head outdoors? Right now the streets are alive with public art, some of it commissioned by the City and Department of Cultural Affairs or by Metro, some of it appearing overnight on walls around town.
A tour of Tesla's new gigafactory, under construction in the Nevada desert and how that intersects with CEO Elon Musk's latest master plan. We compare two Whole Foods stores and a look at the seductive power of supermarket design. And, ceramicist Ben Medansky, talks about the support that followed a fire that destroyed his downtown LA studio.
You've heard the horror stories about this year's Brazil Olympics - from blocked toilets and unfinished infrastructure to toxic water and a political coup. But that's not the full picture. LA-based architecture and engineering company AECOM created the master plan for the Rio Olympics and promises that Brazilians are going to put on a terrific games.
Corruption, toxic waters, building delays… will Brazil's Olympic "nomadic architecture" deliver after a difficult construction process? If running, jumping and swimming are not your thing, you can tune into Rio's eGames. But do gamers really need athletic wear? And Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi gets her moment in the sun.
How much is a political convention about the message or the messaging? Simon Doonan explains. Fashion lover Lun*na Menoh makes music with sewing machines. And a tour through projects by Skid Row Housing Trust explores how much good design can alleviate the trauma of homelessness.
Gone are the days of your grandparents' political conventions. Now, these events are carefully designed to dazzle the audience, especially the television audience. And with a reality TV star at the top of the Republican ticket, Donald Trump is sure to produce a spectacle.
Augmented reality, virtual reality and the future of the city: Cleveland's historic Public Square is remade, just in time for speakers not invited to the Republican National Convention. To revamp an old coaster, just add VR goggles. What does the success of Pokémon GO tell us about future cities created by techies?
Ridership on the Expo Line rose by nearly 60 percent in the month of June compared to April, but average weekday trips continue to decline. Why, and can the trend be reversed by building close to the train stations?
The LA Memorial Sports Arena is nearing demolition, and fans can bid to take a piece of it home. Historian Howard Hugh dishes on architects Philip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright’s “frenemy” relationship. Ayahuasca inspires Aaron Axelrod’s installation at Barnsdall Art Park. And an exiled Italian prince is making a splash in LA’s food truck scene.
At nearly a century old, the historic John Anson Ford Theatres complex was in desperate need of repair. After nearly two years for renovations, the amphitheater will reopen on Friday, July 8 with a new stage, lighting, sound insulation, catering and other amenities.
President Obama and the First Lady have chosen Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects to design the presidential library in Chicago. Residents of Silver Lake want their beloved reservoir refilled, the Ford Theatre gets a major facelift, and bike share comes to downtown. And Tesla’s recent auto-pilot crash could mean speed bumps for an LA-based shuttle service that uses self-driving Tesla cars.
The Los Angeles City Council is weighing two separate measures to fund solutions to homelessness. One likely applicant for those funds will be the nonprofit developer Skid Row Housing Trust, which has built supportive housing by some of LA's leading architects. Can good architecture and planning help re-integrate the formerly homeless back into society?
Interventions in the urban fabric: the new Skyslide brings fun to downtown’s financial district. Will it attract more tenants? In Echo Park, a public mini-golf course gives new meaning to an empty site. And British design collective Assemble recently checked out the Coachella Valley. Why?
On June 23, the Metro Board is expected to approve a ballot initiative that's being called Measure R2, for a half-cent sales tax to be placed on the November ballot.
Will designers and manufacturers trading with Europe be affected by Brexit? As Metro Board prepares a new transportation sales tax measure, we’ll debate how the money should be spent. And The Smell, a much-loved all-ages music venue, has been threatened with closure, sparking anxiety that not all of the changes in downtown LA are for the better.
Recent shootings in Orlando and before that Paris, San Bernardino and Colorado have added to growing jitters about random attacks in regular gathering places. On the other hand, designers and architects are very optimistic about the growth of public space, from transit to parks. Will the fear of violence win out over our desire for openness?
Gay bars and nightclubs have long served as sanctuaries for LGBT people. But many of these venues are disappearing. Mia Lehrer + Associates has been picked to design FAB Park in downtown. Why was the latest redesign for LACMA unveiled at the Venice Architecture Biennale? And a tiny "ecocapsule" made in Slovakia is catnip to Californians.
The Looff Hippodrome, home to the iconic carousel on the Santa Monica Pier, will commemorate its centennial this Sunday, June 12. Meanwhile, across Ocean Avenue, the Colorado Esplanade was recently developed to connect the Downtown Expo Light Rail station, the new Tongva Park and the Santa Monica Pier.
Voters heading to the polls on June 7 may find their ballots very confusing, especially with 34 US Senate candidates to choose from. Can better design improve election results? Plus, we visit the home of the carousel at the Santa Monica Pier that turns 100 this week. And the new In Case of Emergency asks if we are ready for the Big One.
Developers and city leaders billed the more than $2 billion Grand Avenue project as a perfect complement to a changing downtown Los Angeles when it was first proposed in 2004. But since its inception, it’s been wrought with delays and financial shortfalls.
What becomes of the relics of a broken romance? Facebook's compassion research team is designing tools to relieve its users' break-up pain. Then, LA's new Museum of Broken Relationships features totems of heartbreak. And a writer talks about loneliness in the big city – and whether designers can alleviate solitude.
