OVER THE [L.A.] RIVER

The intention of this project is to combine two critical conditions in downtown los angeles into one design proposal. The first being an overall lack of available land in the area (the Cornfields site near Chinatown is probably the last piece of open space in Downtown, at 47 acres, and is already on its way of becoming a state park). Secondly, the Los Angeles River has historically been neglected from any development, in part because of its dual nature (it is almost dry during most part of the year, but once in a while it floods and causes great amounts of damage), and partly due do its 51 miles of concrete cross-section designed to take drainage water as fast as possible to the ocean during the rainy season.

In an effort to acknowledge the fact that floods will always be a threat in L.A. and that the streamlined concrete section of the river is an efficient way to prevent them, together with the desire to improve the quality of life of the communities around the river and a potential to alleviate the current demand for developable land in downtown L.A., this project proposes to design various bridge-like structures over portions of the L.A. River, accommodating these necessities and integrating them with other efforts along the river and its surroundings.