Infrastructure + Bridges
Photo: Michael Maltzan Architects
Photo: Leni Schwendinger Light Projects
6th Street Viaduct Replacement
Location
Los Angeles, California
Client
LA Bureau of Engineering
Team
HNTB, Micahel Maltzan Architects, Hargreaves
Seen in movies and on television, Sixth Street Viaduct is one of America’s most famous and iconic bridges. The bridge acts as a vital connection between the Arts District on the west side of the Los Angeles River and the historic neighborhood of Boyle Heights on the east side. Leni Schwendinger Light Projects led the competition and concept-phase lighting design. Collaborating with architect Michael Maltzan, the City of Los Angeles, and our internal team of interactive designers, a concept was envisioned to display ambient patterns echoing environmental conditions.Seen in movies and on television, Sixth Street Viaduct is one of America’s most famous and iconic bridges. The bridge acts as a vital connection between the Arts District on the west side of the Los Angeles River and the historic neighborhood of Boyle Heights on the east side. Leni Schwendinger Light Projects led the competition and concept-phase lighting design. Collaborating with architect Michael Maltzan, the City of Los Angeles, and our internal team of interactive designers, a concept was envisioned to display ambient patterns echoing environmental conditions.
The innovative concept, a ribbon of light, entitled “Slip Stream”, was presented through rendered video and live demonstrations to a wide variety of stakeholders.
Most bridge lighting is visible and interrupts the line of vision. Although highly challenging, team criteria included a desire for concealed lighting. The Light Projects’ design incised mounting niches for under-arch illumination. Additionally, vehicular, low-positioned lighting, rather than standard streetlight poles, was proposed, tested and accepted by the LA Bureau of Engineers.
Working with landscape architects, Hargreaves, Schwendinger’s team conceptualized under-bridge lighting for a large-scale park. One goal was to utilize the bridge itself as an armature for lighting, removing the need for lighting fixtures littering the ground plane.
Our design set the stage for the final design which was handed off to architects and engineers for the ensuing phases. The opening for the bridge was July 2022.