Emerson College
- Los Angeles, California
- Completed: 2012
In a city defined by its sprawl, Emerson College in Los Angeles strikes a
pretty stunning juxtaposition. The structured outer building frames
softer, more organic shapes threaded through the middle that serve as a
combination of classrooms, student centers, and dorms. Nestled on Sunset
Boulevard between Hollywood and the panoramic views of Griffith
Observatory, it's the kind of place you can't help but marvel at while
you're sitting in traffic.
Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Completed: 2007
This offshoot of the Cleveland Clinic is unlike any other hospital, and
it almost didn't happen. Starchitect extraordinaire Frank Gehry swore he
would never build in Vegas, lest his work become another kitschy casino
or tourist trap. But his heart changed when beverage magnate Larry
Ruvo, who had lost his father Lou to Alzheimer's Disease, asked him to
design a research center focusing on neurological diseases. Gehry
demurred, but when Ruvo offered to expand the center's research to
Huntington's Disease, an affliction Gehry had long since advocated
research on, the architect signed on. The building is a Gehry
masterwork, all wending spirals of shined metal and tumbled facades with
the controlled chaos of the Strip as a backdrop.
