zergcerebrates
November 28th, 2004, 03:40 AM
LOS ANGELES - The mirror-like, curving steel walls of the Walt Disney Concert Hall may soon lose some of their luster.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is considering whether to sandblast portions of the walls to reduce glare that has been blamed for blinding drivers and increasing heat in neighboring buildings.
"It does get really, really warm in the summer," said Susan Yokoyama, co-owner of a video store near the hall. "It's like sitting in a sauna."
After receiving complaints from a nearby homeowners group, the county hired consultants to work with architect Frank Gehry before the hall's dedication in October 2003 on reducing the glare from the building.
A gray mesh fabric was placed over one curved tower across from the condominium unit as an interim solution. The board will consider a permanent fix in January that involves sandblasting some surfaces to create a duller finish.
Gehry could not be reached for comment by the Daily News of Los Angeles. Among his more famous works is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The Disney family contributed more than $100 million to build the concert hall, which houses the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20041127/capt.la10111272252.disney_hall_glare_la101.jpg
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is considering whether to sandblast portions of the walls to reduce glare that has been blamed for blinding drivers and increasing heat in neighboring buildings.
"It does get really, really warm in the summer," said Susan Yokoyama, co-owner of a video store near the hall. "It's like sitting in a sauna."
After receiving complaints from a nearby homeowners group, the county hired consultants to work with architect Frank Gehry before the hall's dedication in October 2003 on reducing the glare from the building.
A gray mesh fabric was placed over one curved tower across from the condominium unit as an interim solution. The board will consider a permanent fix in January that involves sandblasting some surfaces to create a duller finish.
Gehry could not be reached for comment by the Daily News of Los Angeles. Among his more famous works is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The Disney family contributed more than $100 million to build the concert hall, which houses the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20041127/capt.la10111272252.disney_hall_glare_la101.jpg