Caltrans District 7 Headquarters (Los Angeles, CA) : Entry court, looking up

Creator:

Mayne, Thom, 1944-
Morphosis Architects, American architectural firm, founded 1975

Published/Created:

Los Angeles, California, United States
2002-2004

Date Depicted:

2007
1950 AD - 2010 AD

Materials:

glass; aluminum; steel; photovoltaic cells

Notes:

The new Caltrans District 7 Headquarters covers an entire city block downtown Los Angeles, directly opposite City Hall. It serves the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Built on a $165,000,000 budget it opened in September 24th 2004. Its futuristic and environmentally-friendly design has won its designer Thom Mayne the 2005 Pritzker Prize. Enrobed in a constantly changing mechanical skin that is alternately open or closed depending on the conditions of outside temperature and sunlight, the building's fundamental property is that of transformation. At dusk the building is transparent, textured and windowed, while at mid-day it is buttoned up against the sun, appearing to be devoid of windows entirely. The building's south facade is entirely surfaced with photovoltaic cells that will generate approximately 5% of the building's energy while shielding the facade from direct sunlight during peak summer hours. The facade along Main Street features an innovative double skin of glass behind perforated aluminum panels. The panels open and close mechanically timed with the movement of the sun and weather conditions. Marking the entrance of the building at 100 South Main Street is a super-graphic, forward-canted sign towering 40 feet over the sidewalk.

Topics:

Architecture -- United States -- 21st century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Twenty-first century

Culture:

American

Accession Number:

1A1-TMM-CB-B26

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
office buildings (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

interior architecture; contemporary (1960 to present); Architecture and energy conservation; Transportation; government bureau; brise-soleils; green architecture; passive solar; active solar Deconstructivist; Twenty-first century buildings; public buildin

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Addition Module Five

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
2007

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2011; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4090

OID:

10055190

PID:

digcoll:1864157