ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
MUSEUM LOS ANGELES PRESENTS AFTER
THE FLOOD: BUILDING ON HIGHER GROUND
By Josh Marks
Marshmallow-looking modules that float on water; a home that
stands above potential floodwaters on steel columns; a sponge that becomes a
super diaper during a flood -- expanding and absorbing water to become a
temporary barrier; a fully recyclable pink installation to draw awareness and
donations to help build permanent housing in post-Katrina New Orleans.
These and other responses to the August 2005 hurricane that
devastated the Gulf Coast region are currently on display at the Architecture
and Design Museum in L.A.’s Miracle Mile as part of the exhibit “After the
Flood: Building on High Ground.”
The exhibition was originally designed for the U.S.
pavilion at the 2006 International Venice Architecture Biennale. Architectural
Record and Tulane University
created the show and the State Department presented it. The show has since
traveled to Bangkok, Panama
and now Los Angeles. However, curator
Christian Ditlev Bruun felt the 2006 exhibition was too optimistic and didn’t
accurately reflect the still unresolved problems on the ground, problems still
evident a little under three years after Katrina slammed the area. So he
updated the exhibition to inform people about the current developments in New
Orleans.
“It was very optimistic in 2006 and by now it’s obvious that
was completely false hopes,” said the Denmark
native and current Angelino. “I think at this point what I want is to keep
awareness and also keep people’s attention on the fact that this is still a big
mess that needs to be dealt with.”
Whereas the Asian and South American shows and symposiums
included a more international scope, for example discussing the 2004 Tsunami, the
L.A version of the exhibition has a narrow focus on New
Orleans for American audiences. In addition to
displaying the 10 winning designs (five student and
five professional) from the Architectural Record/Tulane multifamily and
single-family housing competition at Venice,
there are two major updates to the exhibition.
Bruun added six new projects that weren’t part of the
competition and the Pink installation in front of the A+D building (it can be
seen from Wilshire Boulevard).
The Pink installation is part of Brad Pitt’s Make it Right foundation. The idea
for the organization began when the actor visited the lower 9th ward
after the storm and talked to residents at community meetings. Make it Right’s
mission is to act as a catalyst for sustainable redevelopment. The Pink Project
started last December with 150 Pink installation placeholders set up along 14
square blocks in the lower 9th ward. So far enough money has been
raised for 81 of the 150 homes and the next home is $20,000 away from meeting
the goal of $150,000. Residents will be able to choose from twelve different
housing designs for their new homes.
According to A+D Museum director Tibbie Dunbar the reception
to “After the Flood” has been great.
“People at the opening afterwards said that they had been to
other openings and they were all successful and lovely gala events, but that
this one had so much emotional content that it just meant more to them,” said
Dunbar.
The exhibition runs through June 27. The Architecture and Design
Museum is located at 5900
Wilshire Blvd. and is open Monday thru Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. The website is www.aplusd.org.