© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

• Architects: ColectivArquitectura
• Location: 7570 Grândola, Portugal
• Area: 2225.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2014
• Photographs: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

• Authors: Vera Martins Alves, Cristóvão Fonseca Ferreira
• Interior Architecture: José Luís Barbosa
• Engineering: Eng. Fernando Campos
• General Contractor: JVF, Lda

© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

From the architect. The choice of location for deployment of the buildings aimed to make the most of the view of the terrain. At the same time it takes a small promontory to the location of a yard, located to the west of the dwelling, for the parking and maneuvering of vehicles.

© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

The outside form resulted from the intention of creating situations of full/empty, adopting a composition of parallelepiped volumes, which create misalignment through its two courtyards, prolonging the experience of the house to the outside.

Floor Plan

The location of the openings in the composition of the elevationsprovides visual crossings, the difference in height between the volumes of the rooms, kitchen and the living room, reinforced by a vertical marking the fireplace chimney, resulting in a dynamic composition.

© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

The openings, searching outside framings, act as plans of light of careful proportions that simultaneously capture and filter the surroundings.

The house, with entrance to the West, develops along the north/south axis and the master bedroom, with private toilet, is located on the North top, followed by the living room with a higher ceiling height, the kitchen, with two support areas intended for storage and laundry room, and finally a volume with two rooms with private sanitary facilities.

© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Across the East housing front, with a direct and privileged relationship with the outside, are located a patio with access through the kitchen and living room, and the pool, surrounded by a paved area with different areas, both in terms of function and material and its permeability.

© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

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Gjura Stojano’s mural “The Spirit of Sports” was the centerpiece of the Sportswear Department. ImageCourtesy of Balcony Press

With its iconic copper-clad tower looming over Wilshire Boulevard, the Bullock’s Wilshire has been a celebrated element of the Los Angeles cityscape since its opening in 1929. Known for its lavish Art Deco aesthetic, the department store made its mark as a prime shopping destination in a city filled with celebrities. But the Bullock’s Wilshire was more than a glamorous retail space; with a design centered around the automobile, it was to set a new standard for how businesses adapted to a rapidly changing urban environment.

A 1946 postcard with the Bullock’s Wilshire in the background. Imagevia digitalpostercollection.com

It is unsurprising that this shift occurred in Los Angeles. The city thrived in the early 20th Century, and especially during the 1920s, so that by the end of the decade it had become the largest city in the world by land area.[1] Explosive horizontal growth and a well-developed road system made Los Angeles uniquely suited to travel by automobile; by 1915, Angelenos were five times as likely as most Americans to own a car and, by 1925, there was more than one car for every two residents.[2]

The rapid increase in automobile traffic wreaked havoc downtown. By 1924, more cars were traveling in and out of the city center each day than were registered in the entire state of New York.[3] Those traveling west of downtown did so along Wilshire Boulevard, a thoroughfare proposed by Frederick Olmstead, Jr. in 1923 as a solution for the city’s newfound problems with traffic congestion. The proposal proved eminently popular with voters, and the new street was completed by 1927. Business interests also enthusiastically supported the construction of the new boulevard, as it provided them with an ideal street on which to develop new retail spaces outside the increasingly crowded downtown.[4]

Bullocks Wilshire under construction. ImageCourtesy of Balcony Press

It was in this heady environment that John Bullock made his own grand plans. Bullock had emigrated from Ontario, Canada to Los Angeles in 1896 and promptly set about making a name for himself in the retail industry. He soon came to be employed the Broadway Department Store, which used the concept of fixed prices—pioneered by the Bon Marché in Paris but never imitated in California—to set itself apart and become one of the city’s premier shopping locations. In 1906, Bullock was asked to set up and operate an independent department store in order to reserve the space should the Broadway lose its current lease. That store, which would be named Bullock’s after its proprietor, was designed by John and Donald Parkinson, a pair of architects whose talents Bullock would call upon again in the 1920s.[5]

As development began in earnest along Wilshire Boulevard, Bullock conceived of a branch location for his wildly successful department store. The idea was, at the time, highly unconventional, as few believed a large store outside a city’s downtown core could never draw enough customers to sustain itself. Wilshire itself was largely a residential district during its early years, lined with mansions owned by the city’s nouveau riche elite. Bullock’s vice president P.G. Winnett, however, believed that customers would be willing to drive long distances (up to twelve miles away from beachside Santa Monica) in order to shop at a worthwhile location.[6]

Courtesy of Balcony Press

The building that arose at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Westmoreland Avenue would soon prove itself more than worthwhile. The initial, traditionally elegant design drafted by Parkinson and Parkinson was discarded upon Winnett’s return from the Paris Exposition Interationale des Arts Décoratifs et Moderne in 1925. The new design that emerged at Winnett’s behest was a Zigzag Moderne monument to the social upheaval and economic prosperity of 1920s America, representing a more modern ideal of luxury. Moreover, as befitted the store’s suburban location, the design would primarily appeal not to passers-by on the sidewalk, but in cars.[7,8]

Many of the Bullock’s Wilshire’s most notable features are the result of this automotive focus. The store had two main entrances, the larger of which faced not onto Wilshire itself, but onto the expansive parking lot. After driving through a pair of dazzling Art Deco gates, shoppers could enter the building underneath the shelter of a large porte-cochère, the ceiling of which was adorned with a mural by Herman Sachs called “Times Fly.”[9] The streetfront windows were fitted with large plate glass windows, featuring eye-catching product displays to entice potential customers driving down Wilshire.[10] In this sense, it was a building geared towards an automotive city.

Detail drawing of gate. ImageCourtesy of Balcony Press

The tower rising above the street entrance was as much an element of the building’s appeal to automobile drivers as the window displays and ample parking. Clad in tan terracotta and patinated copper, the slender tower emerged from the building’s various escalating setbacks to stand a full ten stories tall. It was a largely ceremonial gesture, one which stood out amongst the store’s residential surroundings and made the building visible from miles away. Those not close enough to be tempted by the glamorous displays could still not miss the Bullock’s bright tower on the horizon.[11]

Luxury did not end at the door, however. The interior of the Bullock’s Wilshire featured an eclectic assortment of architectural styles applied to an equally numerous set of boutiques and departments. Shoppers could pass through the Bauhaus-inspired grand foyer to browse through the Moderne sportswear department; the airy, cubic International Style featured in the Saddle Shop was at odds with the heavy Mayan, Wrightian aesthetic of the menswear department. Historicism, while not at the forefront, was not entirely abandoned, either – the “Period Rooms,” high-fashion salons on the second floor, were finished in the style of Louis XV and XVI. Here, patrons would see the latest fashions modeled under the light of crystal chandeliers. On the fifth floor, exhausted shoppers could sit and recuperate in the spacious Tea Room, whose blue, pink, green, and tan color scheme gave it a decidedly California Moderne appearance.[12]

Courtesy of Wikimedia user MikeJiroch

Winnett’s instincts soon proved correct – and perhaps more importantly, profitable. The Bullock’s Wilshire was an instant sensation, its sumptuous design and quality service attracting a clientele that included many of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Celebrities like Clark Gable, Mae West, Katharine Hepburn, and Judy Garland were regular sights, entering under the glamorous porte-cochère to peruse and purchase the latest fashions. The Bullock’s Wilshire itself appeared in numerous films and television series, starting in 1937 with the premiere of the comedy film “Topper.”[13]

The Bullock’s Wilshire managed to survive the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the subsequent Great Depression, and the death of John Bullock in 1933 to establish itself as the most fashionable department store in Los Angeles for decades. But its glory began to fade as the decades wore on and the city grew around it; ironically, a store that had deliberately been situated in the suburbs eventually came to be seen as too close to downtown. The neighborhood had long since lost its luster, and when riots broke out over police brutality in July of 1992, the Bullock’s Wilshire was not spared the wrath of looters. Fortunately, only the first floor was damaged and the building was not successfully set alight, but business would never truly recover. By March of the following year, the Bullock’s Wilshire—by then owned by Macy’s—was closed for business.[14]

Courtesy of US Library of Congress

The store’s closing became a hot topic for architectural preservationists, who vehemently opposed the potential demolition of such an important city landmark. Debates raged over how best to repurpose the building, as its design was ill-suited to the more modern conception of a department store; its products had been intended for display on models, leaving little space for clothing racks, and there were no escalators. Fortunately, the former department store was given a new life upon its purchase by Southwestern Law School, which retrofitted the property to serve as part of their new campus. The iconic Art Deco interiors were only minimally altered, preserving their original splendor for generations of future admiration.[15]

Though its original context has faded into history, the Bullock’s Wilshire remains an eye-catching fixture on one of the busiest thoroughfares in Los Angeles. It’s once cutting-edge Art Deco design, though no longer so daring as it once was, is a reminder of the impact made when the store first opened in the twilight of the 1920s. Its avant-garde embrace of the rising automobile-centric culture proved greatly successful, initiating and validating a shift in the focus of urban and architectural planning that would ensue in the following decades. The Bullock’s Wilshire itself, meanwhile, remains standing where it has been for almost ninety years, a testament to a golden era long since past.

September 1929 Los Angeles Times article celebrating the store’s opening. Imagevia latimesblog.latimes.com

References
[1] Strawn, James. Who’s Park: An Architectural History of Westlake-MacArthur Park. Master’s thesis, University of Southern California, 2008. p55.
[2] Fulton, William B. The Reluctant Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles. Point Arena, CA: Solano Press Books, 1997. p130.
[3] Fulton, p130.
[4] Strawn, p56.
[5] Davis, Margaret Leslie. Bullocks Wilshire. Los Angeles: Balcony Press, 1996. p15-22.
[6] Davis, p32-33.
[7] Davis, p38-39.
[8] Gould, Lark Ellen. Los Angeles, off the Beaten Path. Chester, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 2004. p35.
[9] Gebhard, David, and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2003. p224.
[10] Davis, p39.
[11] Korom, Joseph J. The American Skyscraper, 1850-1940: A Celebration of Height. Boston: Branden Books, 2008. p389.
[12] Davis, p49-64.
[13] Davis, p69-80
[14] Davis, p92-101
[15] Davis, p103-110.

• Architects: John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, Architects
• Location: 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States
• Architect: Donald Parkinson
• Interior Designer: Jock Peters
• Project Year: 1929
• Photographs: Courtesy of Balcony Press, via digitalpostercollection.com, Courtesy of Wikimedia user MikeJiroch, Courtesy of Wikimedia user Jrkagan, Courtesy of US Library of Congress, via latimesblog.latimes.com

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© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

• Architects: MAD Architects
• Location: Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
• Area: 300.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc., Dan Honda, Daniel Taun

• Design Team: Takahiro Yonezu, Yukan Yanagawa, Hiroki Fujino, Julian Sattler, Davide Signorato
• Client: Clover International School
• Constructor: Kira Construction Inc
• Structural Engineer: Takuo Nagai

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

From the architect. MAD architects have completed their first project in Japan, the Clover House kindergarten. Located in the small town of Okazaki, the school’s setting boasts views of the paddy fields and mountains, characteristic of the Aichi Prefecture. The kindergarten was originally operated out of the old family home of siblings Kentaro and Tamaki Nara, which soon became too small and unfit for expanding their educational goals. The siblings desired to create a modern educational institution where children could feel as comfortable as they do in their own homes, allowing them to grow and learn in a nurturing setting.

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

“I think it’s important to create a homely atmosphere inside this kindergarten, so instead building a brand new building, we decide to keep the old wooden structure as the memory and the soul of the space, and work around it.” stated Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects.

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Model

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

MAD was commissioned by the family to transform their old two-story family house into a fully developed educational institution. The transformation started with an investigation of the existing 105 sq m house. Like the surrounding houses, this wooden building was first constructed as a standard prefabricated house. To keep the construction costs to a minimum, MAD decided to recycle the existing wood structure, incorporating it into the new building’s design. The original wooden structure is present throughout the main learning area as a symbolic memory of Clover House’s history. Its translucent and enclosed spaces easily adapt to different teaching activities. The windows, shaped in various geometries recognizable to a child’s eye, allow sunlight to sift through and create ever-changing shadows that play with the students’ curiosity and encourage imagination.

“We have designed the building from a child’s point of view, and the layout focusses on creating intimate and diverse spaces.” said Ma Yansong.

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Section

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

The new house’s skin and structure wrap the old wooden structure like a piece of cloth covering the building’s skeleton, creating a blurry space between the new and the old. The starting point of The Clover House is the signature pitched roof. This repurposed element creates dynamic interior spaces, and recalls the owners’ memories of the building as their home. The form of the house brings to mind a magical cave or a pop-up fort. Compared to the original assembly-line residence, the new three-dimensional wooden structure presents a much more organic and dynamic form to host the kindergarten. The facade and roof utilize common soft roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, to provide waterproofing, while wrapping up the whole structure in a sheath of paper-like pieces.

“We wanted to create a playful piece of architecture that would stay in the memory of the kids when they have grown up.” – Ma Yansong

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Adding to the sense of playfulness, there is a slide that descends from the second floor of the building to an outdoor play area and an open courtyard in front of the building.

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners Inc.

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© YANG Chao Ying

• Architects: Crossboundaries
• Location: Beijing, China
• Architect In Charge: Binke Lenhardt, DONG Hao
• Design Team: Maria Francesca Origa, Hayger Chan, LI Zhenyu
• Area: 3600.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: YANG Chao Ying

• Client: China Zheng Tong Auto Services Holdings Ltd.
• Collaborator: BMW China Design Team

© YANG Chao Ying

From the architect. A museum of vintage BMWs is opening this month in Beijing, China. Crossboundaries’ design for the gallery space brings forth the exclusiveness of the cars while it references the Chinese collector with a local touch.

© YANG Chao Ying

diagram

© YANG Chao Ying

The museum exhibition starts on the 3rd floor. Entering through an inviting, almost two floors high and bright area, passing the reception zone, whose vertical surfaces are accentuated with horizontal lighting strips interpreting the motion of speed, the visitor is being absorbed into a lower, more cozy “transitional” lounge.

diagram

Through layers of red fabric in the imitation of a Chinese gate, the exhibition opens up behind. The exhibition area is subdivided into different zones with diverse qualities, some of display and some of lounging.

© YANG Chao Ying

White, light and slightly transparent fabric banners are hung from the open ceiling on this floor. While the fabric’s verticality reduces the high ceiling to a more human scale, the vast amount of white textile surfaces indicates generority and the “Chinese red gate” as backdrop transmits an imperial feeling.

© YANG Chao Ying

The neutral white brings emphasis on the few exhibition pieces here, underlining their exclusiveness.

The horizontal lighting strips continue into the main exhibition area and information walls, with integrated screens for multimedia presentations at the perimeter walls of the space. Projections can be also screened on to fabric banners in the middle of the space where seating areas are provided around the exhibition pieces.

© YANG Chao Ying

The 4th floor offers a different experience. Walking up a centered freestanding staircase, the visitor accesses the 4th floor and arrives at the front of two long car display platforms. Having more cars to show on this floor, a key feature here is the car display. The space is structured by several long platforms out of white back painted glass surfaces with integrated stainless steel strips and edges. Similar to the 3rd floor, the metal lines mimic the lighting strips on the walls and the information walls reappear on the perimeter of the space.

© YANG Chao Ying

The ceiling of stainless steel mirrors the elevated platforms, allowing the space to appear higher and more spacious. The special lighting for illumination of the cars is also integrated here. Parallel to each other, the platforms offer the visitor a clear route through the history of cars and more interaction.

© YANG Chao Ying

A movie theater, game room and an exhibition display for smaller items round off the experience. They are located at the end of the exhibition area, where natural light leads you towards the elevators. 

© YANG Chao Ying

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© Sebastian Posingers

• Architects: Palinda Kannangara Architects
• Location: Malabe, Sri Lanka
• Area: 760.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Sebastian Posingers

• Quantity Surveyor: Sunanda Gnanasiri

© Sebastian Posingers

Located close to paddy fields and fringed by distant woodland this second home on 30 perches ( 760 sqm)  has been conceived of as a retreat for a couple who had spent a significant part of their life in a Colombo city house and desired for a tranquil space away from the hectic bustle of the city and that would enable them to live in close proximity to nature. This retreat provides a space for the owners to pursue their individual passions for gardening and writing. The owner is a scholar of Buddhist Philosophy and is working on a book. 

© Sebastian Posingers

Plan

© Sebastian Posingers

The old building was a neglected 1980’s house with limited ventilation, dark interiors and no connections to the paddy landscape that surrounded the house. The new building kept the structure of the old, while reorganizing to maximize views, opening out to allow light and to integrate the built with the landscape.  The existing levels were retained and made use of. The new house is built on the same footprint as the old. The foreground to the existing structure too was retained along with the marvelous canopy trees that were on the site (all saved), and a new living and service block was added, interior layout was revised with the requirements of the clients.  

© Sebastian Posingers

The lower level which overlooks paddy fields contains the living dining spaces, a pantry, a study and master bedroom separated from the service block through a paved courtyard (which accommodates informal dining). The upper level has a family /tv lounge extending into a verandah that overlooks the large garden, canopy trees, lily pond, bamboo groves and apart from a bedroom replete with a balcony that projects into the trees. 

Section

The entire house is passively ventilated, serene courtyards, pond, green roofs and green wall (with native ferns and mosses), and large canopy trees all ensure cool microclimate within this house. And green roof over the utility area planted with native plants attracts biodiversity and captures storm water. 

© Sebastian Posingers

Locally available materials, including a combination of reclaimed and custom designed were used. A simple but tactile material palette was adopted and the colors and textures of the architecture blend into the environment of the canopy trees and the paddy fields.

© Sebastian Posingers

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