Soundcloud is a sculptural installation and functional canopy that attempts to reclaim and re-imagine public space in the context of a highly urbanized and industrialized neighborhood. Located at 915 Mateo Street in the artist district of downtown Los Angeles, Soundcloud utilizes an alley formed by two factory buildings and converts the 130 foot concrete passageway into a public 'park,' event space, and area for respite and relaxation with flexible use. Adjacent to a building currently being renovated and converted into a creative live/ work space, Soundcloud is a canopy whose structure was designed by transforming urban sound recordings into three dimensional forms, using software that was developed especially for this purpose. The structure is a network of sound waves articulated by curved steel pipes that break the vertical and horizontal monotony of this industrial area—spilling out into the streets and between buildings. Fabric cladding stretched on the steel frame is designed to serve dual purposes: to provide shade during the day and to operate as video projection surfaces at nighttime. An array of mini loudspeakers, mounted along the curved steel pipes, create an active sound object that offers opportunities for sound installations and music performances. Soundcloud serves as an event structure that provides opportunities for this creative-rich community to congregate and showcase their work. At the same time it offers an intimate public place to meet, rest, and interact. The proposed seating area on the rooftop utilizes Soundcloud as a projection screen for video/film projections and is an additional feature of the project. Accessible from Mateo street, Soundcloud also includes a café, an outdoor seating area and green-space on the ground level accessible to the public and the tenants of the building.
Client: Seth A. Polen Program: Urban lounge, Cafe, Event Space Size: 5,000 sqft Budget: Witheld per owner request Completion date: 2008-10-01 in progress Material: Steel pipe, fabric, speaker system Architect: B+U,LLP Team: Principals: Herwig Baumgartner, Scott Uriu Team: Yaohua Wang, Justin Oh, Clara Kim
