Living Infrastructure: The New Los Angeles Sixth Street Viaduct

This film provides an inside look at the realization of the new Los Angeles Sixth Street Viaduct connecting Boyle Heights with the Downtown Arts District. Deborah Weintraub (AIA, LEED AP), Chief Deputy City Engineer at the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, recounts the history of the 1932 Merrill Butler-designed Sixth St. Viaduct and speaks about the competition brief for the design of the new bridge and its emphasis on the inclusion of places for community participation. Weintraub also talks about the importance of having an architect in the leadership of the design team. Michael Maltzan (FAIA, NCARB Certified), Design Principal of Michael Maltzan Architecture and Architect of the Sixth St Viaduct, reflects on the bridge and its relationship to the city as a whole. Maltzan describes the design team’s intention for the “ribbon of arches” to act as a vital work of civic infrastructure. The Sixth Street design team includes Michael Maltzan Architecture (Design Architect), HNTB (Engineer and Executive Architect), Hargreaves Associates (Landscape Architect), and AC Martin (Urban Planning). Crew Credits – Production: Creator and Executive Producer - Hernan Diaz Alonso Producers - Reza Monahan/William Virgil Segment Producer/Interviewer – Marcelyn Gow Director - Reza Monahan Director of Photography - Walker Sayen B Camera – John Keifer C Camera/Drone Operator – Carlos Bonachea Swing Tech – Liz Smilek Sound Recordist – Jason Chapron Post-Production: Story Producer – Marcelyn Gow Editors – Cal Crawford /Reza Monahan Sound Mixer - Adamo Di Giorgio Soundtrack: Vocals – Jessika Kenney Strings – Eyvind Kang Keys/Engineering – Jason Schimmel Image Credits: Wikicommons 01:23 SEVENTH STREET BRIDGE. LOOKING NORTHWEST. NOTE FOURTH STREET BRIDGE AND FIRST STREET BRIDGE AT CENTER REAR. - Los Angeles River Bridges, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Brian Grogan / National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 01:29 SIXTH STREET BRIDGE AT CENTER. LOOKING NORTH. FOURTH STREET BRIDGE AT CENTER REAR. FIRST STREET BRIDGE AT CENTER DISTANCE - Los Angeles River Bridges, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Brian Grogan / National Park Service / Public Domain @ 01:34 First Street Bridge, Spanning Los Angeles River at First Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Tavo Olmos / National Park Service / Public Domain @ 01:39 DETAIL VIEW OF SOUTHSIDE OF FOURTH STREET VIADUCT OVERCROSSING OF LOS ANGELES RIVER. LOOKING WEST-NORTHWEST. - Fourth Street Viaduct, Spanning Los Angeles River, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Brian Grogan / National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 02:35 PYLON AND LAMP POST DETAIL VIEW, FACING SOUTHEAST. - First Street Bridge, Spanning Los Angeles River at First Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 02:39 BENT 21-17 and PYLON DETAIL VIEW, FACING SOUTHEAST. - First Street Bridge, Spanning Los Angeles River at First Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 02:43 SOUTHWEST ENTRY LAMP BASE DETAIL VIEW, FACING SOUTHEAST. - First Street Bridge, Spanning Los Angeles River at First Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 02:46 Sixth Street Bridge, Spanning 101 Freeway at Sixth Street, LA, LA County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 02:59 CENTRAL SPAN, SIXTH STREET VIADUCT, LOS ANGELES (circa 1905) Internet Archive Book Images / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 03:03 OVERALL SOUTH SIDE, CENTER SECTIONAL VIEW, FACING NORTH - Sixth Street Bridge, Spanning 101 Freeway at Sixth Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 03:09 Sixth Street Bridge, Spanning 101 Freeway at Sixth Street, LA, LA County, CA National Park Service / Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 09:01 Jumping for Joy - LA River Joey Zanotti / CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/ @6thStViaduct twitter account 06:29, 06:33 Gary Leonard @6thStViaduct (Twitter account) 11:49, 11:53, 11:55 Anonymous @6thStViaduct (Twitter account) Robert Gauthier, LA Times 06:31, 11:47, 11:51 Robert Gauthier, LA Times https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-10/photos-l-a-s-new-6th-street-viaduct-open-to-pedestrians-and-traffic Additional Images and Video Provided by City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc / HNTB Corporation. The Biennale images are by MMA Special Thanks to Sean Morris ©2023 SCI-Arc Channel