LA unveils $578M school, costliest in the nation

 

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100822/capt.7e119dfb42ba4b19b28d99d6d54d112e-7e119dfb42ba4b19b28d99d6d54d112e-0.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=kt3JZJWHvm5aX7Zt3ERZcg--

 

LOS ANGELES – Next month's opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968. With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation's most expensive public school ever.

 

The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of "Taj Mahal" schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

"There's no more of the old, windowless cinderblock schools of the '70s where kids felt, 'Oh, back to jail,'" said Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, a school construction journal. "Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning."

 

More below:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100822/ap_on_re_us/us_taj_mahal_schools

Not a single mention of Coop-Himmelblau in that entire article? huh. Well seeing as I am working at the architecture firm that designed this school, what I CAN say is that through the expense the project was apparently not funded as much as it was planned. The large box on top of what the article deems a "spiral" (which is the number 9 in plan, because its high school #9), was designed to be used as a rentable meeting space that would provide a separate means of income to the school. It has ended up completely empty. Anyways as a designer I understand and enjoy the school for what it is physically. However, what it represents as an extremely unnecessary monetary splurge in a country, even in a city, where education is already highly underfunded, I absolutely despise.

I think it's ugly, dark, and dreary looking.  Why not something more refreshing with brighter colors and lots of glass?

While I am not one of the people who designed it (I am only an intern), this picture doesnt quite do it justice. While generally schools try to avoid visual links with outside activity, they also are encouraged to use as much natural light as possible. I don't know how well that works, but for how much they paid I am sure it met all needs and more.

lets not forget school buildings used to be the most impressive buildings in town before they became the cheapazz hideous shacks most new ones are today. so like it or not bravo la for at least regaining their priorities!