A few of our faithful readers emailed us after our post on the downtown art high school's ballooning budget to remind of our ignorance. While Gehry's quest for world domination gives him most of the Grand Ave development project, the Austrians will have their piece. Oh yes, they will. Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au (with an office in LA), has the commission for Central Los Angeles Area High School #9. And if you're wondering how a high school could possibly cost $208 million, this description offers some clues:
The design proposal envisions a heightened stage fly loft in form of a tower as symbol for the arts in the city, which on its top provides an event and exhibition space with a view across the entire city of LA. The tower's sculpture is completed with a spiral ramp in form of the #9 and two billboards, which together are sign and information interface for the school. The school is compromised of four distinct academies, dance, music, visual arts, and theater. Each discipline has a building dedicated to its particular usage with studios and classrooms sharing space. There will also be a gymnasium and a library centrally located in the form of a truncated cone serves as the “Space of Knowledge " and is the focal point of the central courtyard.
More on the proposal can be found here.