Coop Himmelb(l)au’s Los Angeles Flagship High School delayed one year
The much anticipated October opening of the LA based Flagship School for the Visual and Performance Arts, also known as High School # 9 of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), has been delayed a year. The new campus, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au in a growing cultural district in the vicinity of the Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall and the Moneo- designed Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels. When completed, the school will provide space for four academies for education in music, dance, theatre arts and visual arts and a theatre for 1,000 visitors.
Coop Himmelb(l)au’s proposal envisions a tower as a symbol for the arts in the city and a sign for positive development of the arts, education and our society. As an extension of the public lobby, the tower, which on its top provides a conference room with a view across the city, will encourage students to have a positive outlook on the future. The tower’s sculpture is completed with a spiral ramp in the form of a number 9 and two billboards, which serve as both signage and information interface for the school.
A crystalline public lobby which doubles as a theatre or exhibition area, serves as the public face of the school while a representational entrance via a grand open staircase addresses the community. Inside the campus, a cone shape form that serves as the focal point of the central courtyard,will hold a library dubbed the “Space of Knowledge.
The $171 Million project is expected to open in late 2008.
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