Case Studies

The Faces of Elysian Valley – Riverside Roundabout

Project Team
Client:

City of LA

Landscape Architect:

Greenmeme Art & Design Studio

General Contractor:

Flatiron West Inc.

Installer:

Cleveland Marble of Los Angeles

The Riverside Roundabout is the first modern roundabout in Los Angeles and will help control smog and exhaust impacts on surrounding residents. The centerpiece of the roundabout, designed by Greenmeme Art & Design Studio, provides an artistic experience through nine egg-shaped stone sculptures constructed of Academy Black® granite from California. Measuring 8 to 12 feet tall, the sculptures feature the faces of individuals from the community, randomly chosen throughout two years.

A significant amount of coordination between the architect and granite supplier and fabricator ensured the artistic vision came to life. The granite fabricator and supplier used the designer’s electronic files to create the cutting information needed to fabricate the sculptural pieces. Greenmeme’s detailed drawings provided piece numbered, assembled egg sculptures. Each piece was laid out into slab form per the design. The granite supplier selected and cut the slabs with CNC cutting equipment to provide full utilization of the slab. Sculpture pieces were then epoxied together per the design drawings. Cleveland Marble of Los Angeles was the installer on the project.

The roundabout also serves as a stormwater bioretention landscape, with the capacity to capture and treat a 10-year rainfall event (500,000 gallons) off an adjacent bridge and roads. The system also includes a 25,000-gallon cistern supplying a water feature as well as a solar tracking photovoltaic system powering irrigation, lighting and the artwork. A 100-percent sustainable project, all parts of the granite slabs were used to create the eggs, with the remaining parts of the slab creating a stone border around the roundabout.

2017 Pinnacle Award Winner: Commercial Exterior
Photo Credit Makena Hunt

 

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