March 26 > CaliFERnication > Inglewood

It's no longer true that Inglewood is up to no good. On Saturday, March 26th, we're heading south (but still east of La Brea) for a visit with (fer) studio. The architects behind Father's Office in Culver City and Zen Zoo in Hollywood are currently working on a revitalization plan for Inglewood's underutilized Market Street. The master plan centers on a proposed MTA stop and explores the possibility of an urban agriculture zone, adaptive re-use zoning, and a green belt and water reservoir.

Join us for a studio tour and talk with principals Christopher Mercier and Douglas Pierson on their most recent projects and proposal to redefine a neighborhood better known for gangsta rap than green energy. Learn more about their approach to architecture in Inglewood and beyond.

Sat, March 26th
1:30pm- 3:30pm
(fer) Studios
1159 East Hyde Park Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90302

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March 17 > Making Place at LACE > Hollywood

This March, de LaB ponders ideas around placemaking and gets a little abstract in the process! Join us as we celebrate and discuss the completion of the Making Place: Painted Over/Under Part 3 exhibition with our newest de LaB host and Making Place curator Erin Cullerton. Featuring work by architecture firms Predock_Frane Architects, Chee Salette Architecture Office, and Florencia Pita mod, Making Place is the architecture-inspired section of a yearlong exhibition conceptualized by artist Kim Schoenstadt. Showcasing two-dimensional, abstracted vignettes of the Los Angeles cityscape as both an exercise in artful placemaking and a response to the powerful imagery of forgotten urban landscapes, Making Place explores the myriad ways Los Angeles has layered itself into a complex network of activity at once dense and urbanistically challenged.

Conversations on Making Place will explore the exhibition’s themes while broadly looking at the ways thoughtful placemaking has shaped the city of Los Angeles. The panel features Erin Cullerton, John Frane, Hadrian Predock, Marc Salette, and Florencia Pita and is moderated by KCRW's Frances Anderton. The event is sponsored by AIA Los Angeles and FORM Magazine.

Conversations on Making Place
Thursday, March 17, 6:30-9:00 pm
Cocktails from 6:30-7:30 pm
Panel from 7:30-9:00 pm

LACE
6522 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Free admission with suggested $3.00 donation. RSVP to RSVP[at]welcometolace[dot]org.


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January Recap > The Falls

We started 2011 off in the best way possible, with a little education and a little inebriation. On January 24th, we packed a group into new-ish downtown bar The Falls to hear from owner Michelle Marini about the 70s-inspired design.

We began with cocktails, including the seasonally-appropriate special of the evening, The Falls Royale, a delicious vodka or gin, fresh squeezed blood orange juice, champagne, and simple syrup concotion.

Michelle told us about renovating the former bank space (that was previously also an art gallery) into a bar, choosing to come downtown after owning bars in Hollywood, and the dangers of dancing on the bar too close to the chandeliers - all while we snacked on freshly made popcorn. The bar was transformed from a white box to a glam mix featuring Nakashima-esque wood tables, stone and lumber walls, copper tiles and geometric glass. One the groups' favorite features? The great hand-glued door with wooden letters and numbers bought on eBay.

Thanks to Michelle and her staff for kicking off a great 2011!

All photos by Alissa Walker.