The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell includes the renovation and addition to an existing outdated facility. Located within close proximity to downtown Lowell, the new club will include 65,000 sq ft of space. The new design makes a strong connection with the adjacent Clemente Park and the National Historic Park Canal Parkway.
LA VELA ON SUNSET
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA
This project is a radical reinterpretation of the prototypical billboards found throughout the Los Angeles area. Located on a prominent corner of Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA, the tower acts as a visual beacon, while also providing new opportunities for social engagement for the surrounding community. The tower is veiled in a flowing media façade, undulating and contorting to create ever-changing visual experiences as pedestrians and drivers rush by. Sitting prominently along the street, the tower surface gestures down to the sidewalk, extending an entrance to the public walkway that ascends the tower. Viewing decks pierce through apertures within the projection surface, providing elevated perspectives of the city for the public to experience. Inhabitants of the structure experience the projected digital media as a spacial affect. Changes in color, pattern, and lighting create a dynamic interior environment.
LOCATION
West Hollywood, CA
PROGRAM
Billboard / Lookout Tower
STATUS
Proposal Completed 2016
CLIENT
City of West Hollywood
COLLABORATORS
ARUP, Engineer
The projection surface continues along the boundaries of the site, creating a sinuous shade structure and protective berm to shelter public gatherings. The existing parking lot is transformed into a public courtyard, hosting farmer’s markets, performances, and other community events. This project performs at multiple scales and for multiple audiences, acting as a celebratory icon of both media and community.
The structure was designed with sustainability in mind and is integrated into the architecture. The tower features openings at the top and throughout the sides to help promote a stack effect along with cross ventilation for natural airflow. The openings also serve to frame views out to the surrounding city and hills from the lookout areas. The base acts as a protective berm creating a microclimate and shading device for the users at ground level. The skin of the building was designed to not only be a LED billboard but also serves as an armature for fully integrated solar technology
