MTA WILSHIRE/WESTERN PEDESTRIAN SHELTER

Los Angeles, CA: 199_

In collaboration with artist Vito Acconci, RSAUD was commissioned by MTA's MetroArts Division to design a large curbside shelter for pedestrians waiting to transfer from the western terminus of the MetroRedline subway at Wilshire/Western to westbound buses. During the peak morning hours, as many as 40 passengers gather here.

The tube-shaped shelter appears to peel up out of the plaza, which is paved in green Vermont slate. Its inner, concrete plaster lining matches the latter's color and texture. A shallow well is exposed under where the paving appears to have curled up; covered with a steel grate, this well ties into the existing storm sewer line along Wilshire. Colored the same orange as the outside of the shelter, it glows at night. That orange glow recurs in the halo of mercury vapor emitted by the streetlamp which supports the top of the tube, whose flaps lift up to provide additional shade for MTA patrons. Meanwhile, a smaller canopy extends from the rear of the shelter, which shades a concession counter incorporated into the structure as an additional amenity for commuters and lunchtime crowds. Also attracted to the shelter will be skateboard enthusiasts, whose use of its continuous surface is expected to provide a welcome spectacle in the underused plaza.

By contrast with the tube's smooth interior (plaza) surface, its exterior is skeletal. Its assembly--a gridwork of steel ribs--resembles the formwork used to cast the tunnel which parallels it below. Taken with the glowing storm sewer and galvanized metal streetlight, the shelter ties together the various infrastructural networks required by its program: shade (day), light (night), surface drainage, and a ground upon which to sit/stand. Project budget: $250,000.00

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