Dear Friedrich --

In the NYTimes, Lawrence van Gelder asks, "What's it like to live near the new Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles?" His answer:

Dazzling and hot might be two words that come to mind. Neighbors are complaining that the intense glare from some of the shimmering stainless steel curves, above, of the $274 million hall designed by Frank Gehry has raised the temperature in nearby condominium apartments by as much as 15 degrees, The Associated Press reported. Jacqueline Lagrone, 42, said that when she returned for lunch one day before a temporary change was made: "You couldn't even see, and then the furniture would really get hot. You would have to literally close the drapes, and you'd still feel warmth in the house. You would have the air-conditioning on all the time." On one corner, where a glossy steel finish reflects the sun more harshly than the brushed steel used elsewhere, officials have put up netting pending a permanent solution. "We've chosen a sort of sandblasted finish," said Terry Bell, a Gehry partner. He said the impact of shiny steel on neighboring buildings was considered by the architects, but during construction, curving metal sheets ended up at a slightly different angle than called for by the plans.

Van Gelder's piece can be read here.

Best,

Michael

UPDATE: The LATimes has taken note too, here. Link thanks to David Sucher, here.

I wouldn't call it post modernism. Lack of smarts is much more accurate.

First rule of architecture: Nothing ever gets built the way it's supposed to.

Posted by: Alan Kellogg on February 26, 2004 5:44 AM






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