LAROT
LIBRARY OF BOTANY
SP22 Portfolio:
As an address of how the seemingly never-ending lawns of the Los Angeles State Historic Park are abruptly stopped by fences around the area, the library embraces the natural aspect of the park. The library was created with a focus on botanical books and a community garden for visitors to share their cultural differences through plants and food. The reading room, as well as other programs, feature an original "harmonious" joint that acts as a pivot so the surrounding walls "blososm" into a more open program. Similar to drawings illustrated in botanical books, the focus of the library are details within each of its canvases. One of the finishes is a stone veneer with bronze inserts representing the word harmonious. Each module can form into a bronze bird of paradise (LA's official flower) or artichoke (California's official vegetable). The centralization ultimately forms an idea of blossoming and opening up. In focusing on details of complexity, visitors can remember that outside of the busy urban environment, lays the beauty of Southern California's nature.
SECOND YEAR
Spring 2022
Lee Olvera Studio