FlatFigures

In collaboration with Junsuke Sato & Sarasvati Segura

Photo Credit: Joshua White

This is the winning competition entry for an outreach project collaboration between SCI-Arc and SunCal, with a focus on advancing and transforming the DTLA Arts District. SunCal, one of the largest real estate development companies in the U.S., specializes in large-scale, mixed-use master-planned communities.

Our task was to design and fabricate a grand meeting table/collaborative work surface for the warehouse located at 6th and Alameda Street in the Arts District. The objective was to convert the warehouse into a flexible on-site meeting space for developers, contractors, and architects, as well as a venue for public community hearings and meetings. This project explores the use of color, materials, and innovative forms. The primary materials employed are lightweight cardboard tubes typically used for concrete forming, along with acrylic. The color palette and graphics draw inspiration from the abundant murals that adorn Downtown Los Angeles.

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Gallery Installation

Incorporating multiple colors was a key requirement for this project, and we seized this opportunity by drawing inspiration from the vibrant hues found in the graffiti, posters, and installations scattered throughout the Arts District. Additionally, in an effort to pay homage to the site's history, we designed a pattern influenced by Navajo art, as the Navajo tribe were the original inhabitants of the area prior to its industrialization.

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During our initial site visit, we were struck by the realization that the previous tenant of the warehouse, occupying it for over two decades, had been a seafood import-export company. The space was filled with stacks of cardboard boxes, reaching up to the lofty ceiling. In our efforts to preserve the essence of the space, we decided to utilize cardboard tubes, commonly employed in concrete forming, by stacking them on top of each other. These tubes were then capped with vibrant acrylic caps. This combination of materials (Cardboard vs. Acrylic - Old vs. New) also serves to emphasize the contrast between new construction and the surrounding old neighborhood.

To enhance the visual impact, we incorporated fish collages into the Navajo pattern, extending it seamlessly to the floor. This approach illustrates the shipping routes of the boxes, symbolizing their global destinations all around the world. By doing so, we not only improved the graphics but also celebrated the warehouse's history as a hub for the international seafood trade.

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#Team

That moment when the artist and the art piece become one.

Gallery Plan

Opening Event

Opening Event

Office Design

Entry View