Sunset Junction- one of Silver Lakes major gateways - is a place that is widely known for its long history of civil and political courage, for itfs flourishing art and music scene, as a neighborhood full of architectural icons, as an eclectic community. In short it is a place renowned for its otherness and for cultivating different.
With this in mind we designed this permanent installation and plaza as a place of confluence for the diverse, multifaceted and creative community of Silver Lake. We believe that it can become a symbol and a place for the cityfs strong sense of community and neighborhood.
Our design is composed of a colorful ambient figure, rising from a grass and wild flower lined meadow that redefines the entrance to Silver Lake at Sunset junction. The design is composed out of two elements, a Parasol and a Meadow:
the Parasol is a sculptural object that performs as a sign for Silver Lake, and as a canopy for sun protection for the gathering place below.
the Meadow, a natural landscape and gathering place for the Silver Lake community, can also be used as a performance area during the yearly Sunset Junction festival.
The Parasol is made out of recycled acrylic panels that attach to a steel frame. The acrylic panels are semitransparent with a gradient, color silkscreen print. The sculpture is lit at night with energy efficient LED lighting. At the very top of the Parasol solar panels are placed to create a sufficient amount of energy for the LED lights and help establish a zero energy footprint.
The landscape concept for the California Meadow is a field of grasses and wild flowers that bring a natural and peaceful feeling to this urban junction. The Meadow is raised above the street level, and removed from traffic to create a safer place for people. The landscape design of the meadow includes tall grasses swaying in the wind, smells of jasmine and wild flowers, and wooden benches, protected from the sun by a colorful Parasol that creates playful shadows on the ground. The paved surfaces of the Meadow are designed to collect rain water that is recycled and used for irrigation of the garden. The plants selected for the Meadow are all native California plants with low water needs.
Client: City of Los Angeles Program: Urban Event Space Size: 2000 sqft Budget: Witheld upon owner request Completion date: 2011-06-01 Material: Steel, Fiberglass Team: Herwig Baumgartner and Scott Uriu- principal, team- Kainoa Westermark, Alice Leung
