.TIF) |
| Koolhaas/OMA proposal for 4th/5th Street and Arizona Copyrighted Photo Courtesy of OMA |
SUSAN CLOKE
Columnist, Santa Monica Mirror
Rem Koolhaas is not a household name in Santa
Monica. But that is about to
change. Koolhaas, a Pritzker Architecture
Prize Laureate (think Best Picture/Best Director/Best Actor/Oscar) is the lead
architect for the design of the public/private project at the 4th/5th
and Arizona Street site.
Thomas J. Pritzker, President of the Foundation
said, “Koolhaas has been called a
prophet of a new modern architecture.” The Koolhaas firm, OMA, (http://www.oma.eu/oma)
has built projects all over the world.
In the U.S. OMA may be most widely know for the design of the Main
Library in downtown Seattle.
When the Koolhaas firm OMA was given the
commission for the Main Library in Seattle the City was warned that they needed
to “brace for a wild ride with a man famous for straying outside the bounds of
convention.” While it is true that
the library is not conventional it is also true that it is a beloved public destination
in the heart of downtown Seattle. A beautifully conceived and executed space comfortably
accommodating and welcoming large numbers of library users of all ages and an
exemplar of green design.
Looking at OMA’s conceptual proposal for the
Santa Monica site we see how this proposal is specific to Santa Monica. Specific to the climate, specific to the site, specific to
the cultural of creativity and innovation that has been an historical tradition
of Santa Monica.
The open and porous building is designed to
capture ocean breezes, offer spectacular views, express sustainable
architectural principles, meet practical requirements such as parking and provide
for restaurants and shops and housing at various income levels and more. The oh so popular ice rink is
included within a grand outdoor activity area designed to be programmed for
markets and concerts and dinners and festivals and performances. Koolhaas and his partner at OMA, Shohei
Shigematsu, don’t live here but one gets the idea they know the City.
Santa Monica is in the midst of yet another
building boom period. Light rail,
new parks, the Colorado Esplanade, many new hotels, Bergamot, the old Paper
Mate site, Santa Monicans are discussing and arguing over size and scale and
community benefits. Under all the
discussion and argument is the constant theme of how Civic identity is defined
and protected.
It seems Koolhaas is offering a way to both build
the City and to keep faith with the existing character of the City. The building’s design expresses Santa
Monica’s spirit of creativity, the high standards the City sets for itself in
sustainability, and the identity of a City as an easy and fun place to live.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be discussion and
argument. The current proposal is
conceptual. One where the scale is
human and understandable even though the building proposed is the 12 stories currently
being discussed in a City-wide reassessment instead of the previously allowed
6.
“OMA was chosen,” said John Warfel of the
development company Metropolitan Pacific Capital (MPC) because we knew we
needed to have a great piece of architecture. The site deserves it and it will be welcomed in Santa Monica. It couldn’t be just good, it had to be
great and it had to be done right.”
MPC and its partner, Clarett West, will be
before the Council at the August 27 meeting to seek approval to enter into
exclusive negotiations for development of the 2.5 acre parcel which is
currently the site of the Ice Rink, B of A, Chase Bank and Carlson’s.
City of Santa Monica Director of Housing and
Economic Development, Andy Agle, said, “the City purchased these properties
starting in the early 2000’s with the idea that we needed ancillary parking and
other amenities to support the Downtown.
Soon after the properties were purchased we began the Community Visioning
Process to set goals for the development of the properties.
“The Ice Rink had to stay, there was consensus
on that. We needed to meet public
objectives for a very active public use of the site. We needed to provide substantial public parking.
“The City purchased these properties with
Redevelopment Funds,” said Agle. “ Even though the State has now ended Redevelopment
funding, previous contracts continue to be honored. The City will own the land and the developer will build and
run the project.” City Documents,
Staff Reports and developer proposals are available at: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/HED/eddContent.aspx?id=31664
2018 is the estimated move-in date. There will be an ongoing public
process. Questions of scale,
height, and the edge conditions of the property will be vigorously
debated. Programming of the
property, the public uses and the public benefits will be vigorously debated. Financial agreements should also be
given great consideration.
Transparency is a keyword as this is City owned property.
This City is changing. In fact all cities change over time, for better or for
worse. It is up to Santa Monicans
to make sure that the coming changes will continue to make Santa Monica an
interesting, compelling and fun place to live.
Santa Monica City Hall displays signs boasting,
“We Do the Right Thing Right.” They
are setting standards for their work and asking for public feedback. That same motto could be applied to the
Koolhaas proposal. The OMA
submittal to the City offers Santa Monica an opportunity to do the right thing
right. Great architecture needs a great client. Koolhaas has made the offer. Now it’s up to the City.
What Say You?
