Downtown Diary: Mesmerizing median takes shape
The small triangle where Main and Spring streets intersect downtown has been undergoing a facelift in recent weeks. Gone are the often confusing ebb and flow of the streets as they merge just north of 9th street. In their place, workers have erected a median strip that grabs the attention of almost anyone who passes by, invoking as it does both the fantastical mind of Dr. Seuss and the earthbound pragmatism of horticulturalist Theodore Payne.
Bright green and blue spheres jut from the ground as if by magic, lit at night so they appear to hover over the street. They are interspersed with three floss silk trees, their trunks green and spiky, and iceplant with vibrant pink flowers.
The median’s location, at the edge of downtown’s fashion district, presented both a challenge and an opportunity, said Tom Lockett of the design firm Land Images, which worked for both the L.A. Department of Transportation and the MTA on the project. The goal, he said, was to do something “that was a little bit unique, perhaps reflective of the spirit and activity that goes on in that part of the world.”
Still, it was not without its own challenges. Because it's located at the intersection of three major streets, it needed to be visible — an attention-grabber for both drivers and pedestrians. It needed to withstand the inevitable encroachment of a driver onto the strip. And it needed to be easy to manage.
For those reasons, said Lockett, designers chose the low-water plants, and concrete and recycled colored glass for the spheres. (The colors come from the different containers that were crushed and recycled.)
“We felt the product would not just be cool to look at but very easy to manage,” said Lockett. “And you can just hose it off to clean it.”
-- Cara Mia DiMassa
Photo: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times
Kent Smith, executive director of the L.A. Fashion Business Improvement District, which will be responsible for maintenance of the median as well as paying for its lighting at night, said that the area has surged in recent years, with new restaurants, nearby loft buildings and a renewed interest in downtown’s fashion district.
The median, he admits, “wasn’t what we were thinking about, but wow! It’s certainly going to be eyecatching and will certainly be something you notice when you drive by. It’s a real conversation starter.”
