Josef Schröck / Group XXXIX, Oct 2014 - Mar 2015

GROUP 39

3/13/15 to 3/15/15

Mackey Apartments and Garages 1137 S. Cochran Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90019

Since day one of their residency, Vienna-based architects Elisabeth Haid and Josef Schröck studied how the position of the L.A. River has been distinctly related to the city's image of itself throughout its development history. In order to ask for themselves how forthcoming changes in that self-image might manifest as ecological, infrastructural, and land usage changes around the river, they first needed to know what was already there—and what they’ve found was enough to make them question the average Angeleno’s understanding of the river’s current conditions and historical position. From an equestrian tradition to gated suburbs to informal residential set-ups to industrial zoning anomalies like the city of Vernon, the river of today is a lengthwise city in itself, one that Haid and Schröck believe should be comprehended as a dynamic whole hosting many more options for engagement than just crossing it or following it along the freeway. Visitors to Final Projects had the opportunity to explore their own impressions of the river’s psychogeography via an interactive media installation installed in the Garage Top.