Design and Architecture

By KCRW

Arts

What's Design and Architecture about?

From your iPod to the Freedom Chair to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, design and architecture shape our world. On DnA: Design and Architecture host Frances Anderton talks to design world leaders about the latest in products fashion graphics architecture and more in Los Angeles and beyond.

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UCLA’s graduate art studios...

12.10.2019

How do you make your own architectural statement on a street filled with eye-grabbing Eric Owen Moss buildings? Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee talk about bringing “decorum,” pillowed tilt-up concrete and hidden outdoor rooms to their subtle...

Design and Architecture episodes:

12.10.2019 UCLA’s graduate art studios; Where stuff goes after the thrift store How do you make your own architectural statement on a street filled with eye-grabbing Eric Owen Moss buildings? Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee talk about bringing “decorum,” pillowed tilt-up concrete and hidden outdoor rooms to their subtle...
12.03.2019 More housing for rich LA cities; West Coast Craft A dramatic decision by a little-known planning agency may impact how much new housing goes up in your city. The board of the Southern California Association of Governments, or SCAG, voted recently to allocate more housing in coastal, job-rich cities...
11.26.2019 Ray Kappe; LA Auto Show colors; Le Corbuffet Ray Kappe, creator of stunning homes and a highly original architecture school, has passed at age 92. DnA gives tribute to a well-lived life. Did you know that you can learn about the fuel usage of a car by its ...
11.19.2019 Streetlight competition; WALLS The city of LA is launching a competition to design a new streetlight. LA's chief design officer Christopher Hawthorne tells DnA about the history of LA's streetlights, and what the city is looking for in a new streetlight. And when ...
11.12.2019 Marciano and ‘art labor’; Shortlisted! Marciano Art Foundation is closing. The news came days after visitor services associates announced their intention to unionize. DnA attends a protest outside the Wilshire museum to hear about the role of low-paid labor in the highly lucrative world...
11.05.2019 Creating buzz in the city: Ian Schrager; Horton Plaza The co-founder of Studio 54 is opening a new boutique hotel in West Hollywood. Veteran hotelier Ian Schrager talks about his colorful life and career creating spaces to attract the in-crowd. And filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer tells us about the dramatic...
10.29.2019 Fighting the Getty Fire; the science of scary; Sneakertopia The Getty Fire has spread to hundreds of acres, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate. But the Getty Center, with its priceless collection of art and artifacts, was designed to withstand the flames. Plus, how safe is ...
10.22.2019 Saudi Arabia invites dialogue with American artists and designers, but there’s pushback Saudi Arabia has an image problem. But it has become a new frontier for American artists and designers. We look at the controversy surrounding site-specific art festival Desert X's planned expansion to Saudi Arabia, and we talk to an LA-based...
10.15.2019 Building housing affordably; drag through the ages Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 18 bills last week to boost housing production. Does this mean the housing crisis is solved? DnA talks to Angela Brooks and Larry Scarpa about the “elephant in the room” that was left out of the ...
10.08.2019 Cross Colours; Fast fashion’s hidden costs Remember Cross Colours? The LA-based urban streetwear line was a hit in the early 90s, with bright, bold designs and uplifting messages about unity. Now the label is back, and the California African American Museum is celebrating with a...
10.01.2019 Coworking after WeWork; Autographs of LA The coworking giant WeWork said it would raise world consciousness and rebuild cities, with help from architect Bjarke Ingels. Now it has pulled its IPO, after firing its CEO last week. Where does that leave WeWork and coworking spaces in ...
09.17.2019 Huntington at 100, Notes on Decor The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens was established 100 years ago. But Henry Huntington’s footprint was far bigger than that. DnA looks at the man who was “probably the most important urban planner L.A. has ever had,” and...
09.10.2019 Climate activism goes mainstream, from Porsche to porn Will an all-electric Porsche drive sports car lovers to embrace clean energy vehicles? Can an adult video site help clean up plastic trash in the oceans? DnA looks at the climate messaging coming from unexpected quarters, even as the White ...
09.03.2019 Promenade 3.0; Kunlé Adeyemi After it opened in 1989, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade became one of the most popular shopping and entertainment destinations in the world. But the Internet has changed how we shop, watch movies and order food. So business leaders and...
08.27.2019 Music Center Plaza; LA’s new tree czar The Music Center Plaza, opened in 1964 with a design by architect Welton Becket, has been reimagined for pedestrians rather than cars. “We had to walk a line between preserving as best we could what was here, but making it ...
08.20.2019 Fifteen strangers share a house; Bird’s sustainability pitch A large two-story Craftsman house on a residential street in Koreatown has been subdivided into 15 single-occupancy bedrooms and bathrooms, and common living and dining areas. “Cohaus” creates community and adds density without changing the...
08.13.2019 Reimagining Museum Row; upending the general contractor industry Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard is in the midst of some big changes, with major projects at the Petersen, Academy Museum, LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits and Craft Contemporary. Will these schemes be united, and how will they greet the ...
08.06.2019 Sumptuous swimming pools; AfriCOBRA’s black power art Summer in Southern California means swimming pools, and those glittering havens from the heat are celebrated in the new book “Splash: The Art of the Swimming Pool,” a collaboration between photographer Tim Street-Porter and his wife, the...
07.30.2019 Dodger Stadium upgrades; an ADU is born Let’s play ball! There’s a $100 million renovation coming to Chavez Ravine. Janet Marie Smith of the Dodgers gives us the rundown, and architecture critic Paul Goldberger discusses the evolution of the American ballpark. Plus, the city hopes...
07.23.2019 Remembering César Pelli; Sowden House parties on The designer of “The Blue Whale” has died. The Argentinian-born architect Cesar Pelli of the Petronas Towers and other landmarks passed July 19 at age 92. We’ll hear about his mark on LA, where he created glass-skinned buildings inspired by...
07.16.2019 Hollyhock House; Space Age Design; Guo Pei Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House has become Southern California's first UNESCO World Heritage site. Why did it earn this distinction, and how will it cope with a flood of new visitors? Starburst signs and Satellite shopping centers... Apollo...
07.09.2019 Crystal Cathedral’s resurrection; billboards on the Sunset Strip When Philip Johnson built the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove for televangelist Robert Schuller in 1980 it was called "the largest glass building in the world." Now it’s the new home for Orange County's Catholics, renamed Christ Cathedral, and...
07.02.2019 Jony Ive leaves Apple; LA’s time capsule When longtime Apple chief designer Jony Ive announced he was jumping ship, markets shook. How much is good design worth? We talk about what’s next for Apple, Ive and the branding of consumer technology. Plus, will we have dogs in ...
06.25.2019 Selgascano in LA; The Weather Machine Spanish architecture firm Selgascano is taking over LA with brightly colored plastic and lots of plants. DnA visits their Second Home Hollywood, Serpentine Pavilion at the La Brea Tar Pits; and Sam First, a jazz club at LAX. And, forecasts ...
06.18.2019 Flying taxis coming to LA; fining landlords for vacant units Uber wants to add app-based flying taxis to LA's airwaves. Uber Air is set to launch in 2023, and the company has enlisted eight firms to create (pro bono) concept designs for what they call “skyports.” Can drone taxis remedy ...
06.11.2019 Santa Monica Airport’s future; fashion designer Halston Santa Monica Airport is expected to close by 2028 and be replaced by a park, and this weekend the city will begin digging up both ends of the runway. But the transition is worrying folks who see a clean, green, ...
06.04.2019 Taking pride in LA’s LGBT Center; getting the goods at LACMA LA Pride takes place this weekend and among those celebrating will be the new residents of the LA LGBT Center. The center was founded 50 years ago and a major upgrade was designed to bring LGBT youth and seniors together ...
05.30.2019 Digital billboards resurface in fight over visual blight Los Angeles is considering revising its regulations around billboards to allow more digital signs all around Los Angeles. But activists say the proposed rules would allow for Las Vegas-style digital billboards far and wide. For this episode of DnA...
05.28.2019 A turf war in Westwood; climate change at the Aquarium The Aquarium of the Pacific's new $53 million wing "Pacific Visions" aims to alert visitors to climate change, and what to do about it, through high-tech entertainment. How are visitors reacting? And neighbors in West LA are fighting over a ...
05.21.2019 Shade; Cey Adams; Jason Wu In sunkissed Los Angeles shade is a luxury. Reporter Sam Bloch explains why, and what needs to change for Mayor Eric Garcetti to plant 90,000 trees. The exhibition “Contact High” goes back to the early years of hip hop. Graffiti ...
05.14.2019 LA’s dirty air; Lovell Health House Los Angeles-Long Beach has once again been cited the nation’s capital for dirty air, just as LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has made cleaning the air a central plank of his green new deal. We'll look at why the Southland’s air ...
05.08.2019 Historic neighborhoods and SB50; fashion designer Rudi Gernreich A bill in Sacramento called SB50 would override local zoning rules to legalize small and mid-size apartment buildings around public transit and job centers. How will the bill affect LA's historic residential neighborhoods? And fashion designer Rudi...
04.30.2019 Feminist design at The Wing; A Time Capsule for 2019 LA The Wing is a new “women-centric” private club and co-working space in West Hollywood that signals femininity and feminism through design. Is the result a little bit too perfect? And what would you put inside a time capsule that would ...
04.23.2019 Rebuilding Notre Dame; Bauhaus in Israel; Klaus Frahm Just two days after the shocking fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the French government announced an international competition to redesign the spire. But how and what exactly will they rebuild? During the week of Passover, we’ll hear...
04.16.2019 Art installations provide celebratory places at Coachella DnA slaps on the sunscreen and heads to Coachella to meet the artists, designers and architects who have brought the polo fields to life with colorful large-scale art installations that pop on Instagram while creating a sense of place. Architect...
04.09.2019 Make or break for LACMA redesign; Sterling Ruby on Specter LACMA's proposed museum extension made a big leap forward this week, amidst heated arguments for and against the project. LA County Supervisors voted Tuesday to release $117.5 million towards the $650 million cost of Peter Zumthor's replacement...
04.04.2019 Destination Crenshaw was a Nipsey Hussle dream Fans of the rapper Nipsey Hussle are remembering his music as well as his contributions to South LA, where he was raised. The 33-year-old was shot and killed Sunday outside The Marathon store he owned. While many rappers leave their...
04.02.2019 Sun Seekers in SoCal; Kurt Cobain’s fashion legacy Over 100 years ago “nature boys” and TB sufferers came to Southern California seeking its healthful sun. We hear how the region’s curative powers birthed experimental architecture and a massive “wellness” industry. And 25 years after Kurt...
03.28.2019 LACMA shrinks its Zumthor-designed expansion There are big changes coming to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA took a step closer this past week to getting rid of four old buildings and constructing a brand-new building by a renowned Swiss architect. On this ...
03.26.2019 Campaign logo design; Bauhaus turns 100 A candidate's political logo may not get your vote, but it's meant to get your attention. We take a deep dive into the design of campaign logos and look at how the many Democratic candidates are trying to distinguish themselves ...
03.20.2019 Hollywood’s long-dormant Target may finally be completed If you have driven by the intersection of Sunset and Western over the last few years you may have noticed a yellow-wrapped, half-finished big box. It’s been dormant for so long the yellow has faded to almost white. This is ...
03.19.2019 Downtown dog owners; Soul of a Nation Almost every residential development in downtown aims to attract pet owners, and doggie businesses outnumber those aimed at children. We’ll hear how dogs helped bring DTLA to life and are now impacting the design of buildings. Art from the black...
03.13.2019 LA County pushes for pet-friendly housing If you’ve ever had to search for a place to rent, you know the phrase: “no pets allowed.” This can be a dealbreaker, especially if you’re homeless and would rather stay on the street than give up your beloved companion. ...
03.12.2019 New life for old buildings: MOCA, a Hollywood library, Target Husk MOCA’s new director Klaus Biesenbach plans to restore “luminosity” -- and, maybe, water -- to the Grand Avenue building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Arata Isozaki. Also, if you own an abandoned building or a vacant lot in Los Angeles,...
03.06.2019 Pritzker winner Arata Isozaki’s MOCA to be revamped, with water feature The Pritzker Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Arata Isozaki, the 87-year-old Japanese architect with a career ranging from brutalist libraries to an inflatable purple concert hall. His most famous building is LA’s MOCA, or Museum of Contemporary...
03.05.2019 Can you design your way out of smartphone addiction? Your smartphone is addictive. Do you need to “Marie Kondo” your apps, put down the phone altogether, or use it as a “drug” dispensary? DnA takes a tour of hidden LA bars that ban phones, talks with a computer scientist ...
02.27.2019 Metro eyes fees on ride-hailing services In a bid to raise funds for mass transit improvement, LA’s Metro board will vote tomorrow to study a range of strategies that include congestion pricing and taxing ride-hailing services. But what Metro really needs to do, many Angelenos say, ...
02.26.2019 Frank Gehry turns 90, Metro considers congestion pricing Angelenos hate traffic but aren't flocking to mass transit. Will congestion pricing and fees on ride-hailing services change their minds? Metro’s board is about to vote on a package of revenue-raising, congestion-reducing measures, and listeners...
02.20.2019 Is California ready for an autobahn? High-speed rail is going off the tracks. Now state Republicans are floating the idea of an autobahn through the Central Valley. A lawmaker is proposing new lanes through the Central Valley without speed limits, arguing that it would reduce...
02.19.2019 The costume, hair and makeup artists that make Hollywood sparkle Would Christian Bale be nominated for his portrayal of Dick Cheney without help from prosthetics? Will 3D printed crowns beat out bejeweled crowns? DnA is focusing on two crafts: hair and make-up and costume -- following a drama over the ...

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