A Mediterranean Expression is Prominent in the Landscape Palette at The Grand LA

A Mediterranean Expression is Prominent in the Landscape Palette at The Grand LA
by Staff

Designed and constructed at a cost of $1 billion, a new mixed-use complex opened recently in downtown Los Angeles. Branded The Grand LA, the project, which was built on a site previously occupied by a parking lot, encompasses two towers: the 28-story Conrad Los Angeles Hotel and the 45-story Grand LA residential tower. Designed by architect Frank Gehry and his firm Gehry Partners, the development encompasses over 1,500,000 square feet of commercial, retail, cultural and residential areas. Landscape architecture firm OJB designed the exterior portions of the site, including the streetscape and a public plaza between the two towers. Across the street from the site is another iconic, Gehry-designed architectural feat - the Walt Disney Concert Hall with its signature 'sails' - making this the only place in the world where two Gehry projects face one another. Much detail went into the streetscape design to help create a seamless transition between the two Gehry creations.

Around 140,000 square feet of decorative hardscape was the handiwork of Trademark Concrete, headquartered in Camarillo, California. Besides the numerous amenity decks, the only concrete contractor on the project, installed 40,000 square feet of concrete for the site's perimeter including the pedestrian walkways on all four sides of the site. Other than a concrete bus turnout, the street itself is overlaid with asphalt. The landscape is lined with borders of natural trailing plants designed to temper and frame views of the architecture.

In over a year and a half of design work, various mock ups of decorative concrete, in a wide variety of colors and textures, were created. The firm managed the permitting, graded the perimeter of the site, and then installed gutter bases, sidewalks and rectangular planters that match the sidewalk paving and are larger than the typical size of planters allowed in the city of Los Angeles' right-of way.

With the Walt Disney Concert Hall as a backdrop, the project's main corridor Urban Room features a collection of ancient olive trees and a cast-in-place terraced amphitheater, also known as the Olive Plaza. The understory throughout the site encompasses more than 25,000 plants that were specified to evoke the movement and sensory reactions of the grassy meadows and flowing landscape of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains.

The Grand Stair is a major architectural focal point of the project. These stairs connect the Olive Plaza to the valet level. Installment of decorative hardscape on this part of project was accomplished with help from a concrete trailer pump. A majority of the finished hardscape on the project is variations of "sand finishes," a technique that is done by uniformly applying a top surface retarder across the wet concrete after the initial bleed water rises to the surface and then using a low-pressure sprayer for uniformity. Once applied, the surface is covered with plastic and the retardant is washed off with a buffer and hose the following day, exposing the sands.

Here at the Level 7 terrace of the project is Gehry's signature "running bond" pattern in the project's decorative hardscape. The concrete provider worked with OJB and the city of Los Angeles in the design to ensure that this running bond joint pattern, made out of their EcoCast?(R) hardscape, would also extend into the public right-of-way.

Suspended above the valet are a number of the pedestrian bridges and walkways throughout the property. Most of the pedestrian bridges on the project received a mix of pedestal pavers and decorative concrete topping slabs. All the decorative concrete toppings slabs were completed in a custom color.

This view from the Grand LA's valet has the radius stair leading to the Grand's Urban Room, pictured in the background. A series of assessments was required by the city of Los Angeles before the specialty paving could be placed in the public right-of-way. Among those were tests for solar reflective Index (SRI), static coefficient of friction (SCOF), and compressive strength. Softening the hardscape are plantings that include three prominent species of trees; Geijera parviflora, Lophostemon confertus, and Quercus Virginiana.

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Designed and constructed at a cost of $1 billion, a new mixed-use complex opened recently in downtown Los Angeles. Branded The Grand LA, the project, which was built on a site previously occupied by a parking lot, encompasses two towers: the 28-story Conrad Los Angeles Hotel and the 45-story Grand LA residential tower. Designed by architect Frank Gehry and his firm Gehry Partners, the development encompasses over 1,500,000 square feet of commercial, retail, cultural and residential areas. Landscape architecture firm OJB designed the exterior portions of the site, including the streetscape and a public plaza between the two towers. Across the street from the site is another iconic, Gehry-designed architectural feat - the Walt Disney Concert Hall with its signature 'sails' - making this the only place in the world where two Gehry projects face one another. Much detail went into the streetscape design to help create a seamless transition between the two Gehry creations.

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Around 140,000 square feet of decorative hardscape was the handiwork of Trademark Concrete, headquartered in Camarillo, California. Besides the numerous amenity decks, the only concrete contractor on the project, installed 40,000 square feet of concrete for the site's perimeter including the pedestrian walkways on all four sides of the site. Other than a concrete bus turnout, the street itself is overlaid with asphalt. The landscape is lined with borders of natural trailing plants designed to temper and frame views of the architecture.

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In over a year and a half of design work, various mock ups of decorative concrete, in a wide variety of colors and textures, were created. The firm managed the permitting, graded the perimeter of the site, and then installed gutter bases, sidewalks and rectangular planters that match the sidewalk paving and are larger than the typical size of planters allowed in the city of Los Angeles' right-of way.

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With the Walt Disney Concert Hall as a backdrop, the project's main corridor Urban Room features a collection of ancient olive trees and a cast-in-place terraced amphitheater, also known as the Olive Plaza. The understory throughout the site encompasses more than 25,000 plants that were specified to evoke the movement and sensory reactions of the grassy meadows and flowing landscape of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains.

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The Grand Stair is a major architectural focal point of the project. These stairs connect the Olive Plaza to the valet level. Installment of decorative hardscape on this part of project was accomplished with help from a concrete trailer pump. A majority of the finished hardscape on the project is variations of "sand finishes," a technique that is done by uniformly applying a top surface retarder across the wet concrete after the initial bleed water rises to the surface and then using a low-pressure sprayer for uniformity. Once applied, the surface is covered with plastic and the retardant is washed off with a buffer and hose the following day, exposing the sands.

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Here at the Level 7 terrace of the project is Gehry's signature "running bond" pattern in the project's decorative hardscape. The concrete provider worked with OJB and the city of Los Angeles in the design to ensure that this running bond joint pattern, made out of their EcoCast?(R) hardscape, would also extend into the public right-of-way.

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Suspended above the valet are a number of the pedestrian bridges and walkways throughout the property. Most of the pedestrian bridges on the project received a mix of pedestal pavers and decorative concrete topping slabs. All the decorative concrete toppings slabs were completed in a custom color.

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This view from the Grand LA's valet has the radius stair leading to the Grand's Urban Room, pictured in the background. A series of assessments was required by the city of Los Angeles before the specialty paving could be placed in the public right-of-way. Among those were tests for solar reflective Index (SRI), static coefficient of friction (SCOF), and compressive strength. Softening the hardscape are plantings that include three prominent species of trees; Geijera parviflora, Lophostemon confertus, and Quercus Virginiana.

The Grand LA, the $1 billion complex that was over 15-years-in-the-making, finally arrived in Los Angeles in 2022. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry and his firm Gehry Partners, the project was intended to invigorate Los Angeles' Bunker Hill neighborhood with its two towers that house high-end retail and hotel residences, the Conrad Los Angeles. Between the two towers is a public plaza, open to all visitors, that will accommodate a variety of outdoor events.
The landscape architecture firm OJB was a critical partner in this endeavor. OJB is a collective landscape and urban planning practice that includes architects, landscape architects, horticulturists, scientists, planners, and continuing care experts. The concrete provider was tasked with installing the 140,000 square feet of decorative hardscape that was specified to complete the project. This included 40,000 square feet at the site's perimeter along with streetscape paving.
Related Companies was the developer that put this extensive project together, they had a public-private partnership with the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority.

The design team also included KPFF as the civil engineer, DCI Engineers as the structural engineer, and Pan Pacific as the MEP engineer. The lighting was designed by KGM.
The irrigation plan was the work of Sweeney & Associates.

Top-Down View
The outward facing mixed-use project is comprised of landscaped plazas and public spaces refocused on pedestrian enjoyment. The layering of public space throughout the over 1,500,000 square feet of commercial, retail, cultural, and residential areas organize a new core focused on outdoor enjoyment.

Directly across from The Grand LA stands an additional iconic architectural feat in the Walt Disney Concert Hall (another Gehry design), making Los Angeles the only place in the world where two Gehry designs face one another.

Retail space is anchored by chef-driven restaurants, shops, a movie?theater?complex and a luxury hotel, together with residential developments. The architectural design elements of the district from Frank Gehry include a pair of staggered towers, which are contrasted with a vibrant streetscape?and plaza that provide a wide variety of art, music, and outdoor offerings for the public.

Planning a Downtown Revival

 
The Grand LA, as an essential part of a larger urban composition that includes not only the adjacent Disney Concert Hall but nearby arts and cultural institutions, was intended to return this area of Los Angeles to shared public space for the future.

OJB's master plan mapped out each level of the project's landscape as you move up the building - starting at the ground level and working its way up to the level 10. In addition, the pavement layout at each level, tree layouts, and planting areas
were also included.

Concrete Ties the Project Together
One of the many highlights of this enormous development is the decorative hardscape that helps to encapsulate the properties' two towers. Over the course of eighteen months, various mock ups were created, using a wide range of colors and textures.

Once a paving was agreed upon, a series of tests would be required by the city of Los Angeles before the specialty paving could be placed in the public right-of-way. Among them were SRI (Solar Reflective Index), SCOF (Static Coefficient of Friction), and compressive strength testing - just to name a few.

The concrete provider and OJB continued to work in unison with the city to ensure the EcoCas® paving, that was selected for the project, not only extend into the public right-of-way, but would include Gehry's signature "running bond" joint pattern.

Special installation equipment was used to make the project possible. For instance, placing the cast-in-place vertical components of the Grand LA's amphitheater relied on a concrete boom pump. The decorative hardscape at the Olive Plaza was installed with help of a concrete trailer pump. Besides these elements, the Grand LA features numerous concrete amenity decks.

Tempering the Experience
In addition to the hardscape, the sites perimeter is lined with softscape that centers around three prominent species of trees; Geijera parviflora, Lophostemon confertus, and Quercus Virginiana. These trees provide a welcoming experience to the Grand and help maintain one of the Grand's fundamental philosophies, which is connecting people to nature.
A Mediterranean expression is prominent in the landscape palette at The Grand LA, with a canopy of ancient, airy olive trees and striking cypress trees at the center of the urban room, which is the first welcoming experience into the Grand.

The understory is planted with more than 25,000 plants that provide movement and sensory delight, evoking the grassy meadows and flowing landscape of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains. The visitor path is lined with borders of natural trailing plants that soften and frame views of the sinuous architecture that envelops the burgeoning cultural district.

The Bottom Line
The amount of detail that went into the streetscape alone helps create a seamless transition between the two Gehry designs. This, according to the creative team, allows them to "speak" to one another in one of Los Angeles' most creative and up-and-coming neighborhoods.

It was "a wonderful, high-profile-project," according to Michael Campbell of Trademark Concrete, who singled out project managers Charlie Kaitlib for OJB and Dylan Dyers.

TEAM LIST
Developer: Related Companies
Architect: Gehry Partners / Landscape Architect - OJB
Concrete Contractor - Trademark Concrete Systems, Inc.
Civil Engineer: KPFF / Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers
MEP Engineer: Pan Pacific / Lighting Designer: KGM
Irrigation Designer: Sweeney & Associates
General Contractor: AECOM

Filed Under: 2023, STREETSCAPES, PLAZAS, LASN