Tranquility can persist in the midst of apparent chaos. Tucked away in Beverly Hills there is a pocket of surprisingly familiar urban design.
The concern for most people at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards is moving on. Few think of it as a place to remain. The odd convergence of these two east-west thoroughfares is reflected in the layout of the neighborhood to the south. On one side a regular grid of north-south blocks echoes the regular cadence of Los Angeles' westward expansion. On the other side the streets are dramatically rotated to the south, reoriented towards the city's ultimate coastal destination.
There are serval neighborhoods in Los Angeles like the one around Lasky Drive in Beverly Hills, where the convergence of different grids generates an array of unique situations. What is remarkable about this neighborhood is the calmness and consistency of its pedestrian environment in the midst of the formal challenges presented by the layout of its streets.
The neighborhood is held together by consistent street sections and sidewalks, leafy trees, and a relative abundance of simple, hardworking architecture. The image above is of the triangular block defined by Durant Dr., Lasky Dr., and Charleville Blvd. The entire block is one building, which presumably allowed the developer and designer a certain amount of control in managing the block's odd triangular shape. Rather than dominating the block and the middle of the neighborhood, the building is carefully broken down into what seems like a collection of various structures gathered around a shaded courtyard.
The building's relative diminutiveness creates an attractive place in the center of the neighborhood that can be shared by the surrounding residents. Its internalized courtyards and facades help temper the commercial traffic that it generates during the day, and its massing and architectural details connect it with the variegated residential buildings that surround it.
The neighborhood spreads out in a variety of apartment buildings. They incorporate different styles, heights, and urban features, but do so in a consistent manner that conveys a discernible visual identity to the pedestrian.
Street trees and sidewalks help make the neighborhood's common spaces desirable places to be.
Front doors that are close to the public realm are enhanced with porch covers, landscaping, and steps.
An apartment building that creates a garden courtyard at the corner provides a sense of expansion for the whole neighborhood.
This apartment's forecourt has been converted into a parking ramp. Though somewhat less habitable than originally intended, the space still offers a shady green reservoir to the street and a charming transition between public and private realms.
"Dressing up" a side door, so to speak, can help resolve the tensions that arise between public and private spaces. This is a side door to a larger apartment building, but it is still someone's front door, and it opens right upon the public sidewalk. Steps, landscaping, a covered porch, and architectural details help prevent the door from being overwhelmed or overlooked by the neighborhood.
To see more, here is a full gallery of the neighborhood.