South Park, Los Angeles is being transformed by enormous private developments, however, the public realm remains relatively untouched. There are simply no large scale public projects to keep pace and serve the tens of thousands of new residents and visitors to the area.
This proposal creates pedestrian connections between the Pico Metro Station on Flower Street and connects it to a renovated public park at the Convention Center. In sum, it puts the park in South Park.
A halo of green pedestrian public space connects a reconceived Metro Station and a new park space at the convention Center.
Key changes: the Metro Blue and Expo Lines are below grade along Flower Street, 12th Street is reduced, and parking functions in front of the Convention Center are relocated.
A tremendous amount of analysis was done to program the site. One interesting bit of information shows that among competitors, the Los Angeles Convention Center is tremendously lacking in adjacent public park space. L.A. is not ranked among the top convention destinations by any measure.
The project can be broken down into three distinct typologies:
THE NEW MTA PLAZA
STREETSCAPES connecting the MTA Plaza and the Convention Center Park
CONVENTION CENTER PARK
A new shade structure serves as a significant landmark for one of the busiest Metro Stations in Los Angeles. A courtyard replaces warehouse buildings on Flower and the entire line is below grade.
This new public space not only creates a new public gathering space, but brings life and a center of commerce to an area that currently has no life and a coherence to a station which is currently unsafe and too small for current users.
The new Pico MTA Station shade structure serves as an icon for the district and makes the station easy to find. Due to the tall towers and imposing parking podiums surrounding the site, the structure is airy and funnels light into the space below. The open nature of the structure creates a seamless indoor/outdoor pedestrian flow.
The new MTA Shade Structure and Plaza can be seen here. The width of Flower Street remains as is, however, underutilized warehouse buildings give way to the new plaza. The Shade Structure is tall enough that the halo on top can be seen above the concrete bunker-like parking podiums of the surrounding towers.
Major new public park space is created when the subway is placed below grade. A dead pedestrian walk now can become the center of bustling street life and safe passage for pedestrians between the Convention Center, L.A. Live and the MTA station. In addition, based on resident surveys and inspired by the food carts of Portland, Oregon, the area is programmed with small informal eating stands. These stands also take advantage of the new city ordinance allowing licensed food carts on city streets.
In this plan, 12th Street is reduced significantly based on the observation that there is no direct auto access to either Oceanwide Plaza or Circa. To maximize the public function of the reclaimed space, all of it is added to the pedestrian sidewalk on the south along Circa. This new added space is filled with trees and food carts creating a whole new scene for the district.
A bridge over Figueroa provides safe, uninterrupted passage for pedestrians. In addition to great views from the deck, the “Floating Halo” helps define the district both day and night.
“More important than what is learned in the hall are the CONNECTIONS made outside the meeting space in informal gatherings.”
—Bob Priest Heck, CEIR President
The plan reinvents the space adjacent to The Convention Center and directly connecting L.A. Live and Staples Center. The history of South Park reveals that it was to be anchored by a sort of Grand Park South. This plan completes that vision and creates a major new recreation space for the residents and visitors to South Park.
The Great Lawn at the Convention Center Park features a stage with an angel inspired canopy. This stage could be used for large events connected to conventions, neighborhood celebrations, screenings, and speakers.
Acting as a buffer between The Great Lawn and Figueroa, planting spaces for a variety of trees and climate appropriate planting would also create a pleasant walk space for convention-goers and local residents alike.
The tree species would lean on local varieties and would be chosen to attract local bird species as an attractive stop between the L.A. River and local parks at Echo Park, Pershing Square, and MacArthur Park.
The glass towers of the convention center were, at the time of their installation, among the only towers in South Park. Now, the residential towers are among the tallest in the world with more planned and the Convention Center structures are barely noticeable, let alone area defining.
Inspired by Heatherwick’s “Vessel” in Hudson Yards and other towers such as the Space Needle in Seattle, the short towers could be replaced by new structures that would define the area to help in way finding and place making.
The towers could be programmed with hotel, conference, meeting, and office space. In addition, the towers could offer panoramic views of the entire Los Angeles area giving all who visit an entirely new perspective of the landscape.