Safe House: The Brilliant ‘Transformer’ House That Can Become a Fort.
Category: Architecture
The Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego
The Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge (HDPB) at night. This impressive bridge opened to the public on March 18th, after nearly three years of construction. The span connects San Diego’s downtown Ball Park/East Village section to the waterfront.
The bridge cost 27 million dollars, which was well beyond original cost estimates. I usually find publicly funded projects that go over budget disturbing, but this beautiful bridge is an exception.
This bridge is an architectural gem in my opinion and provides a much needed overpass near the new bayside Hilton Hotel and the Convention Center. The bridge is one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian suspension bridges in the world and was designed to last at least 100 years. If it lasts that long, surviving earthquakes, storms and whatever else get thrown at it in the coming decades it will have been well worth it’s cost.
Bridge Spec’s:
550′ long
16′ wide
Pylon is 131′ tall
34 individual suspenders are attached to the main cable. All cables are stainless steel.
The Empire State Bldg vs 15 Penn Plaza
Developers, ESB Butt Heads Over 15 Penn Plaza – Gothamist
I think the proposed 1020 ft 15 Penn Plaza tower would be a architectural crime against humanity. Hopefully the City Counsel votes it down, but who knows? I just read Mayor Bloomberg supports this thing, so watch, I bet it gets green lighted. Between this and the GZ mosque Bloomie is on a real roll.
Smart Growth in Los Angeles
Las Vegas trip
Paid a visit to Las Vegas this past weekend. Stayed at the Trump International Hotel and found the hotel quite accommodating. Only in Vegas could a Trump property seem understated and reserved. The hotel does not have a casino and I considered that a positive.
The ever evolving skyline of LV continues to be fascinating. I made a point of visiting the heralded new CityCenter and I must say I was impressed by the dramatic futuristic buildings of the complex.
Hollyhock House
Last week I had a chance to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Hollyhock House in East Hollywood. This house was built for Aline Barnsdall, an oil heiress that Wright met in Chicago in the early 1910’s. It was built from 1919 to 1921 and was Wright’s first project in Los Angeles. The original site of the house was called Olive Hill and it occupied 36 acres. The site included two guest houses, one of which still stands. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior in 2007.
The house has only been open to the public since 2005 and is still in the process of being restored, but it is well worth visiting if you are a fan of Wright’s work. Tours are available Wednesday to Sunday and admission is $7.00. Hollyhock House is easy to get to from downtown Los Angeles. Just take the Metro Red Line to the Vermont/Sunset stop and you are less than a 10 minute walk from the entrance at 4800 Hollywood Blvd.
To learn more this about architectural landmark go the Hollyhock House homepage.
A high tech “Green” addition to Little Italy
I was riding my bike through Little Italy and other neighborhoods in downtown San Diego this afternoon and came across the nearly completed Q building. This building makes use of a variety of new technologies, including solar power, to make it a “Green” building which meets or exceeds LEED standards. I’ve watched as work on this building progressed during the course of the last year and wondered how it would ultimately turn out. I’m not sure everyone in that neighborhood likes this building because it is so large and the contemporary design represents a distinct departure from some of the old buildings that line India Street. But I like the way the building stands out. It is daring and, yes, it is relatively tall, but at 7 stories it doesn’t overpower the surrounding structures in my opinion. It is only a few blocks from the bay and I’m sure the upper floors provide great views of centre city and the bay.
gmf journal 