Archive for the ‘Activism’ Category
Saving Richard Neutra’s Kronish House
9439 Sunset Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
6 BR, 5.5 BA
$13,995,000
Update 8/3/2011: It was determined last night that the preservation community would work to find a buyer for the house over the “60 day cooling period,” which starts today. After that, the owners can apply for a Demolition Permit and get it, and then tear the house down 10 days later. Hopefully, blogs like your own will help find a preservation minded buyer!
Regina O’Brien
Chair, Modern Committee, Los Angeles Conservancy
The Kronish House was built in 1955 by legendary architect Richard Neutra. It is one of only three Neutra designs built in Beverly Hills and is the only home that remains intact–one was demolished, the other completely altered.
The residence was sold in a foreclosure auction in January for $5.8 million and put back on the market in April. A new buyer is now trying to demolish the home. The City of Beverly Hills has no protection for its historic structures, so there is no way to stop the demolition other than finding a preservation-minded buyer or through action by the City Council.
The Los Angeles Conservancy is working to save the Kronish House. For more information on the Conservancy’s position and what you can do to help, go here. Tonight, August 2, is the Beverly Hills City Council Meeting, so please attend, if possible! The meeting starts at 7:00 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills. The Kronish House is the fifth item on the agenda. (You can find the agenda here.) Parking is available in the garage across the street.
You can also use Twitter to let Beverly Hills mayor Barry Brucker know you want the Kronish House saved – @BarryBrucker.
More info and photos of 9439 Sunset Blvd.
(Images courtesy of Dion Neutra. Information courtesy of LA Conservancy)
Strathmore Under Attack?
The Strathmore Apartments in Westwood are one of Richard Neutra’s most celebrated projects, but their architectural integrity is being threatened by a Dallas-based developer that’s planning to build a looming over-sized student rooming house directly across the narrow street. The project is vehemently opposed by residents, architects, and City Councilman Paul Koretz. It was rejected in a five to one vote by the Westwood Design Review Board after the applicant refused to make meaningful modifications. But since the City Planning Department is desperate for revenue, and the developer has the funds, in May the DRB rejection were brushed aside the approval was renewed.
Residents are appealing to the Area Planning Commission, which has the power to stop the project. Please help by writing a letter of support to SaveStrathmore@NeutraLives.org or add your name to the petition.
Why is stopping this development important? Neutra believed that buildings should be carefully sited and reach out to nature. The Strathmore Apartments were made an LA Cultural-Historical Monument in 1988, and architects from around the world come to admire and study this complex and the landscape that is an essential part of Neutra’s vision. The planned six-story rooming house would loom over the Strathmore apartments, cutting them off from light and views, and altering the scale and livability of the neighborhood.
For more information, please go to neutralives.com.
Zombiethon: Run For Brains
Halloween is typically one of the more glutinous holidays–stuff your face with candy as a kid or dress up and drink your face off as an “adult”. But this year, why not do something fun and charitable while dresses up as a dead body that’s been brought back to life by a supernatural force?
Zombiethon is a community FUN run/walk event held on Halloween, Saturday October 31, 2009, from 4-6pm, along the recreation trail around Silver Lake Reservoir in Los Angeles, California. This event is organized to raise donations for Brain Cancer Research. All of the proceeds will be donated to the local charity, City of Hope, to find a cure for this devastating disease. Your $10 donation will grant you a numbered participation bib and goodie bag!
This is a family-friendly event, and everyone is encouraged to arrive in their finest zombie attire. If you don’t have access to zombie make-ups, don’t worry, for an additional donation of $5, you may have your make-up applied by professional special effects make-up artists on site! Not a runner? Don’t worry! It’s not a formal race, just a chance for everyone to get out there and have some fun while supporting a very important cause.
Check out silverlakezombiethon for more information.
Park[ing] Day LA 2009
When I started working in Downtown LA around this time last year, I walked outside for my afternoon walk only to find that where a parking spot used to be right outside my building now lay a tiny park. Yes…a park. Three people had set up grass, a bench and some plants and were sitting around lounging in their little man-made park the size of a parking spot. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but I loved it!
My reaction was just what they were trying to draw out of local Angelons as part of Park[ing] Day LA – a yearly event where artists, designers, and activists transform parking spots into temporary public parks. I love this event because it really makes people think about LA.’s lack of public parks and green space.
According to the web site, Park[ing] Day LA is “an opportunity for community members to engage passers-by, motorists, members of the press, city leadership and yes, even the authorities, in a rational and respectful dialogue of everything from our city’s parks and public space to the environment and allocation of land to mobility issues and local beautification projects.”
Park[ing] Day LA takes place this Friday, September 18th. Last year over 70 mini-parks sprouted up across the city and this year should see even more. For more information and to see what parks may be appearing around you, check out their web site and follow them on Twitter.
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