September Recap > Park(ing) Day LA @ LOCAL PARK

Besides a small mishap with the "K" that was quickly resolved, Standard's LOCAL PARK design was a huge hit on Park(ing) Day LA.

No kid was immune to the call of the sandboxes. That includes us.

Some even brought their own beach toys!

Our host, LOCAL owner Jason Michaud, was so smitten with the topiary statement, rumor has it that the park might just be parking semi-permanently at LOCAL in the very near future.

Among our many visitors, our friend Stephen Box - the mayor of Park(ing) Day LA himself - stopped by to say hello. Kill Radio also sat down in our beach chairs for a bit and did a quick interview with Silvia and Jeff. You can catch their film of Park(ing) Day LA at the Bike Oven this month. And Mike Manalo, a media design researcher at Art Center took these amazing photos as he went on Park(ing) Day LA walkabout throughout the city.

If you missed it, don't worry. LOCAL PARK will be making an encore appearance (along with other Parking Day LA installations) at the ULI Live Conference, October 26-28 at the LA Convention Center as part of The Square, a showcase of place-making, LA-style, curated by Frances Anderton.

For a round up of all the spectacular pop-up parks that sprouted up this year around town, check out City Watch's round up.

Huge thanks to Silvia and Jeff and entire Standard team (especially Alex and Kazu)! The entire day went off without a hitch. And only one of us got a parking ticket!

September 29 > Neutra VDL Studio and Residences Lecture and Reception

Join de LaB on September 29th for a special tour of the Richard Neutra VDL Studio and Residences in Silver Lake. The evening will include a brief lecture by Leo Marmol, FAIA, of Marmol Radziner on the current restoration process, followed by a reception on the grounds. Join us for the whole evening, or just the reception!

A Little Bit of History...

The VDL Studio and Residences were designed by Richard and Dione Neutra for a 4,200 sq. ft. lot, overlooking the Central City Reservoir of Silver Lake. Built in three waves between 1932 and 1966, the compound remains a seminal example of modern urban design, featuring new building materials, specially-designed built-in furniture, and innovative climate-sensitive elements, including cooling rooftop reflection pools and automated sun louvers.

In 1990, Dione Neutra bequeathed the compound to the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design, whose faculty and students preserve and maintain the property, using it as an educational and community resource. In fact, the VDL compound is the only Neutra residence accessible to the community at large.

Recently, the CED launched a $1 million fundraising campaign for repairs and on-going maintenance to the house. Marmol Radziner, known for its meticulous restoration of the Neutra-designed Kaufman House in Palm Springs, was selected to oversee the compound's repair and restoration. Leo Marmol will share his insights on the restoration of the historic site and will give an overview of the work that is currently under way. Since de LaB helped finance the renovation with a fundraiser in 2008, raising $3000 in a single evening, we're thrilled to head back and check in on the progress.

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences Lecture and Reception

Thursday, September 29

7:00 pm, Lecture and Tour ($20) | 8:00 pm, Reception ($10)

2300 Silverlake Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Buy your tickets

Note that space is limited for the lecture and tour portion of the evening, so we recommend that you purchase your tickets early. All proceeds go to the VDL Fund for Preservation, Maintenance and Stewardship.

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{Photo: David Hartwell.}

September 16 > Parking Day LA > LOCAL PARK

Parking Day LA returns to the streets of LA on Friday, September 16th and as always, de LaB is heads back to our favorite spot at LOCAL. Silver Lake architects Standard will be our "park-itects" this year, transforming a simple spot into a statement. Their design is both literal and symbolic; an invitation and a reminder of Parking Day LA's rally cry this year that "streets are for the people." In their own words:

Taking cues from Parking Day’s theme, the iconic Hollywood sign, and the context in front of Local restaurant, LOCAL PARK is four large “topiary” letters that spell the word P-A-R-K. In combination with the existing storefront behind, the sign reads LOCAL PARK. Directed toward Sunset Blvd., the installation grabs the attention of the driving and bus-riding public and leaves the enigmatic impression of a green PARK at the side of the boulevard. Not in search of a fixed message, the sign might be read as a cheerful request to park your vehicle, and as an expression of the need for more green space in the city. The sign reverses the manmade vs. nature relationship of the Hollywood sign and turns the lettering into a landscape within the urban context. The letters are ballasted with sandboxes to create a temporary space for relaxing, expanding the space of the sidewalk.

So pop a squat, enjoy a plate of chilaquiles, and tell us what LOCAL PARK means to you.

For a full map of all the pop-up parks, click here.

Can't play hookie on Friday? You can still catch some of the parks at ArtCycle in East Hollywood for "Parallel Parking" on Saturday, Sept. 17th.

What: LOCAL PARK by Standard for Parking Day LA
Where: LOCAL Restaurant, 2943 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026
When: 11am-ish to 4pm-ish


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