Ramble
Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Project . Advisor: Karen Lange . San Luis Obispo , California . 2015-16
An instigator of new urban knowledge and context for fresh metropolitan experiences, RAMBLE is a city-stitching walking path connecting and revitalizing the fragmented public spaces of Downtown Los Angeles. Situated in the historic and forgotten, trendy and unpopular neighborhoods that make Downtown the enigma that it is, the Red Paths and Follies transfigure specific conditions and integrate the existing circumstances of the city from Los Angeles River to Grand Park, 101 Freeway to Little Tokyo.
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1 - Tubular Amphitheater
Tubular Amphitheater is an engaging lookout maze offering 360-degree views within and without its space. Situated within Grand Park and surrounded by cultural and civic buildings, the follies’ monumental presence emphasizes Grand Park as a major public space occupied during marches, public events, and festivals. Simultaneously, its elevated lookout points allow for continuous views toward the relatively flat city of Los Angeles.
2 - Freeway Theaters
Freeway Theaters Path is a walk overlooking the sunken Freeway 101 highlighting the juxtaposition of relaxed strolling and traffic jam. These stepping theater spaces frame an uninterrupted view toward the gridlock of unmoving cars down below so both the walkers and the drivers are made conscious of their relative movements and their choices. Furthermore, these stepping theaters provide performance space for Chinatown and El Pueblo artists and become a break space for employees of civic organizations within 5-minute walking distance.
3 - Musical Tentacles
Musical Tentacles Follies is a small scale music festival to bring city strollers closer to their civic institutions. Situated in City Hall Park, the three follies extend their tentacle over the park and play live sounds or music broadcast from other segments of the Red Path. Standing under different tentacle, the walkers will hear a different tune creating unique musical hubs and enticing the walkers to keep strolling to discover the source of sounds.
4 and 5 - Forest Grids and Promenade Cinema
Forest Grids Path is an elevated tree-lined walk within the Los Angeles River presenting uninterrupted views of Downtown skyline. The Path starts at the end of the 6th Street Viaduct “Bridge River Park” and is raised up to avoid the notorious winter floods. The Path leads to the Los Angeles River Follies.
Promenade Cinema is a lookout and image projection follies capturing and broadcasting imagery of the happenings in the City. Visible from afar, the imagery that is projected onto follies’ vast surface provokes the walkers’ curiosity to keep on walking to find the origin. The structure of the follies is a timber waffle system with a separate floor construction. This independence of the structural systems allows for pragmatic fenestration in the enclosure.
