Year: SPR 2021
Typology: cultural/civic
About: Graduate studies/ University of Virginia
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Advisor: Charles Menefee
-Collaborative work with Sierra Brown [M.Arch 2022]-
Mariachi Plaza carries a lot of significance for being the place where Mariachis have gathered since the 60s and is well-beloved by the local Chicano Community. The surrounding neighborhood, Boyle Heights, is known for the numerous Chicano murals that appear throughout. This muralism has a much deeper value than simply neighborhood beautification; it serves to establish a collective identity and sense of pride, reclaim the portrayal of Chicano history, and speak out against social issues. This use of rich visual image in public space is an act of inclusion: art accessible to all. These murals transform the walls from their original purpose as part of a building structure into a message board where community members can come together and express hopes, concerns, and shared values. Studying this muralism and its role within the Chicano community led to four intentions that we aimed to achieve with this project: COLLECT - to bring people together and provide spaces for gathering; CONNECT - to connect the students and members of the community to each other, their heritage, and the act of making; PROCEED - to create a place that could be claimed by the community as their own and to proceed in creating their own spaces with their art and culture; ENRICH - to add value to the community
The project that emerged is one that questions the boundary between interior and exterior and, in doing so, blurs the line between what is plaza and what is school. The school as an extension of mariachi, extending the life of Mariachi. Key elements in the building include the mural wall, expressive kiln, and hanging tapestries, all of which contribute to an expressive open exhibition of the community’s art practiced in the Chicano art school. This exhibition is experienced by journeying through the building, witnessing the layers of spaces and experience that open up to reveal the voices of the Boyle Heights community.
Solidity, porosity study to examine the characteristic of each space to designate the appropriate program in each space.
Study of access to and from Mariachi Plaza and the school to achieve a blurring transition of two zones and enhance the natural circulation flow.
As walking experience was crucial to our design we tested this journey experience of the visitors and the building users by sketching every sequence of the pathways through the building to ensure the rich experience throughout the journey.
Façade Studies -15' Reinforced Concrete Wall Beam Elevation
