Design and Architecture

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A turf war in Westwood; climate change at the Aquarium May 28, 2019

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The Aquarium of the Pacific's new $53 million wing "Pacific Visions" aims to alert visitors to climate change, and what to do about it, through high-tech entertainment. How are visitors reacting? And neighbors in West LA are fighting over a proposal to turn a grassy field into a multi-use, synthetic grass sports field. The project is meant to serve as a memorial for a 12-year-old boy who died last year. But it's erupted into a turf war that involves class, access to public space, and a fight over materials, as in, natural versus nylon.

Shade; Cey Adams; Jason Wu May 21, 2019

Show notes

In sunkissed Los Angeles shade is a luxury. Reporter Sam Bloch explains why, and what needs to change for Mayor Eric Garcetti to plant 90,000 trees. The exhibition “Contact High” goes back to the early years of hip hop. Graffiti and graphic artist Cey Adams talks about a career shaped by that era. Jason Wu made a splash in fashion very young. Now he passes on lessons learned to students at Otis College of Art and Design, through a love for 1950s-era uniforms.

LA’s dirty air; Lovell Health House May 14, 2019

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Los Angeles-Long Beach has once again been cited the nation’s capital for dirty air, just as LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has made cleaning the air a central plank of his green new deal. We'll look at why the Southland’s air is dirty despite cleaner cars, and why automating the ports may not be the solution. And a classic modernist house is in distress and may be looking for a buyer. We tour the Lovell Health House with the owners and preservationists eager to restore it.

Historic neighborhoods and SB50; fashion designer Rudi Gernreich May 08, 2019

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A bill in Sacramento called SB50 would override local zoning rules to legalize small and mid-size apartment buildings around public transit and job centers. How will the bill affect LA's historic residential neighborhoods? And fashion designer Rudi Gernreich used clothing as a medium for his progressive views on sex and gender. A new show at the Skirball Cultural Center tells his story, and shows the outlandish outfits he created.

Feminist design at The Wing; A Time Capsule for 2019 LA Apr 30, 2019

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The Wing is a new “women-centric” private club and co-working space in West Hollywood that signals femininity and feminism through design. Is the result a little bit too perfect? And what would you put inside a time capsule that would reflect Los Angeles today? The Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial near downtown LA is getting a renovation, along with a new 2019 time capsule that will include submissions from the public.

Rebuilding Notre Dame; Bauhaus in Israel; Klaus Frahm Apr 23, 2019

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Just two days after the shocking fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the French government announced an international competition to redesign the spire. But how and what exactly will they rebuild? During the week of Passover, we’ll hear about the exodus of Bauhaus-inspired architects and their impact on the Holy Land. And the best view of a stage is typically front of house. Not for photographer Klaus Frahm, who captures what theater stages look like behind the decorations.

Art installations provide celebratory places at Coachella Apr 16, 2019

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DnA slaps on the sunscreen and heads to Coachella to meet the artists, designers and architects who have brought the polo fields to life with colorful large-scale art installations that pop on Instagram while creating a sense of place. Architect Francis Kéré talks about a life journey that’s taken him from a tiny village in Burkina Faso, Africa, to center stage at Coachella. Young local artist Sofia Enríquez shares her joy at designing her first installation there.

Make or break for LACMA redesign; Sterling Ruby on Specter Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

LACMA's proposed museum extension made a big leap forward this week, amidst heated arguments for and against the project. LA County Supervisors voted Tuesday to release $117.5 million towards the $650 million cost of Peter Zumthor's replacement building. LACMA director Michael Govan makes the case for an adventurous design for a creative city. And music lovers heading to Coachella will see one of the desert’s brighter blooms en route: Sterling Ruby’s vivid orange Specter. Ruby tells DnA why orange figures in so much of his art.

Destination Crenshaw was a Nipsey Hussle dream Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

Fans of the rapper Nipsey Hussle are remembering his music as well as his contributions to South LA, where he was raised.

The 33-year-old was shot and killed Sunday outside The Marathon store he owned.

While many rappers leave their neighborhoods when they find success, Hussle was an entrepreneur and an activist who stuck around and invested in his community, even having a hand in creating the logo for Destination Crenshaw.

On this episode of DnA on ATC, Frances Anderton tells Eric Roy about Hussle’s commitment to the art and economy of South LA.

Sun Seekers in SoCal; Kurt Cobain’s fashion legacy Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Over 100 years ago “nature boys” and TB sufferers came to Southern California seeking its healthful sun. We hear how the region’s curative powers birthed experimental architecture and a massive “wellness” industry. And 25 years after Kurt Cobain’s death, we explore his unlikely impact on fashion.

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