SmogShoppe

Los Angeles An immersive architectural environment developed from a former auto repair and smog-check facility. From the beginning, Nelson conceived the project as an inhabitable sculpture that could also host events. Existing industrial material was retained and recombined with tall concrete courtyard walls, living plant systems, solar power, salvaged architecture, theatrical signage and small references to Pierre Chareau's Maison de Verre. The project marks a shift from placing temporary art events inside architecture to making the architecture itself carry the experiential charge. Early neon elements also initiated a long-term collaboration with Raul Romero. Collaborators / contributors: Sherry Walsh; Raul Romero; Tony Brown and other makers and fabricators across the project.