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AIALA Celebrates 150th Birthday, Architecture Month
Published: November 06, 2007
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By Kelly Sheehan, Online News Editor
Los Angeles—Thomas Cox Architects (TCA) and Forest City recently hosted a rooftop celebration at The Mercury, a high-rise, mixed-use community located in the Koreatown district of downtown Los Angeles. The event was held to inaugurate Architecture Month in the city as well as the 150-year anniversary of the American Institute of Architects/Los Angeles (AIA/LA).
Daniel P. Gehman, AIA, principal of TCA and manager of the firm’s Los Angeles office, tells MHN that there were roughly 300 people in attendance.
The Mercury is a 1920s building that was recently converted into luxury lofts. The building, formerly the Getty Oil headquarters, was originally designed by architect Claud Beelman.
“Los Angeles is home to some of the most distinctive architecture in the United States and the world, as well as virtually every conceivable historic style, reflecting the diversity and imagination of the people who live and work here,” says Gehman.
The AIA selected the rooftop as the celebration’s locale because The Mercury embraces the city’s past architectural heritage and also its promise for the future, according to Carlo Caccavale, AIA/LA associate director. The Mercury represented the trend toward historic and adaptive reuse that has shaped redevelopment in Los Angeles, especially in its downtown core.
“The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects was very pleased to announce Architecture Month from a rooftop that allows for great views of the architecture of our city,” Caccavale adds.
