Downtown seen from the ground
Re “Gehry Sees His Glass Towers Transforming Downtown L.A.,” April 24
The tragic flaw of architect Frank Gehry’s model of a “revitalized” downtown is that neither he nor anyone else involved seems to have any affection for the downtown that already exists.
You don’t revitalize a city by building generic glass boxes; you revitalize it by stressing its unique advantages. From Olvera Street to the old movie palaces, there is a lot to love about downtown.
Have the planners wandered around Grand Central Market? Have they noticed that Broadway is crowded with people shopping on foot? There are many bustling little businesses that would be devastated by the proposed new high-rise malls.
Downtown certainly could use some renovating, but the plans should start with the historic core that is already there.
ELIJAH WALD
Los Angeles
*
Please, somebody stop Gehry! Everyone is in thrall of the star architect these days. They think one giant project -- a sports stadium, museum or something else -- will bring back the good old days of a vibrant downtown. The reality is that downtown Los Angeles is deadly depressing and that giant projects such as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the Walt Disney Concert Hall don’t help.
Every piece of architecture must work on the human scale and be pleasant to walk by, around and into. These giant projects are impressive in photos but completely fail on the human level. What’s needed for downtown is much more modest, mixed-use areas of shops and residences, open spaces, parks and timeless -- not flashy -- architecture.
KEN CHRISTENSEN
San Luis Obispo
*
While I applaud the city’s desire to develop and improve downtown, as long as the streets are constantly gridlocked and parking nonexistent because of continuous filming, this local won’t bother going there to see any of it. Why endure the hassle?
NANCY CARLSON
San Marino
*
Never does transforming L.A.’s downtown include housing for those who clean offices, hotels, restaurants and Staples Center, wait on tables and wash dishes, assist the chefs and do all those other jobs that are often unseen and usually underappreciated. Those workers are not included -- certainly not in the condos in Gehry’s proposal. Transforming is only for the affluent.
DAMIANA CHAVEZ
Los Angeles
*
With all the planning being made for the Grand Avenue project, how is this new development going to tie into the Red Line subway and downtown Dash buses?
Maybe all the powers that be should spend some time on downtown mass transit to inspire them to help make the project facilitate the use of that system, rather than just provide more parking spaces.
CLIFF CABALLERO
Valley Village, Calif.
