Finalists Selected in Olympic West’s Design Competition

Five finalists were selected last week from 85 entries in the innovative Olympic West international competition for the urban design of a 10-block stretch of Olympic Boulevard west of the San Diego Freeway.

The finalists--AKS RUNO, Cigolle & Coleman Architects and Snyder-Bridgwater Inc. of Los Angeles, plus CBT/Childs Bertman Tesckares & Casendino Inc. of Boston and Francois Seigneur of Paris, France--were asked for concepts for the design of architectural massing and streetscapes, and for two new office buildings commissioned by competition co-sponsors Executive Life Insurance Co. and Raleigh Enterprises.

The finalists will now focus on developing their concepts into a detailed urban design and architectural proposal. The winner will be announced Nov. 21.

Backed by Councilman Marvin Braude, the Olympic West competition is an attempt to respond creatively to several current concerns about growth in the city.

“The purpose of the competition is to bring together local citizen’s groups, merchants, developers and government in a non-confrontational setting,” said George Rosenthal, Raleigh Enterprises president.