Client: Beacon Capital Partners

Location: Los Angeles, CA, United States

Completion date: 2007

Artwork budget: $450,000

Project Team

Artist

Susan Narduli

Narduli Studio

Architect

Julie Westfall

DSR Design

Overview

The translucent glass wall is sited along the edge of the plaza, and connects planting areas at each end. Water falling over glass rock set within the wall flows into a linear pool that runs its entire length. The granite pool edge is bench height to encourage seating. The wall is constructed of laminated glass panels that transition from blue at the fountain to green as they meet the gardens. Grasses embedded within the glass echo the landscape. At night the glowing wall becomes the visual marker for the public space and forms a backdrop for events and gatherings.

Goals

The office tower at 1000 Wilshire Boulevard is located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and the Harbor Freeway. Its public entry plaza overlooked the freeway and was virtually unusable for anything but a quick dash into the building. This project creates a visual and acoustical separation for the plaza and provides integrated lighting for nighttime use.

Process

Given the goals of the project it was critical that the art and architecture work together to solve the acoustical issues and create a welcoming public space for day and night use. The process was collaborative. The architect took the lead on the sound wall and overall plaza improvements. We designed a fountain that would extend the entire length of the plaza to create a visual screen, add protection from the wind and create its own ambient sound to help mitigate the noise of the adjacent freeway.