Rough Diamond - school by Morphosis, Los Angeles, California - Brief Article

Architectural Review, The, March, 2001 by Raymond Ryan

2. Angular forms emerge from the landscape as an extension of the topography.

3, 4. Axial spine of the street is terminated at one end by the school's gymnasium.

5. Dramatically framing the landscape, a canyon-like cleft between teaching blocks leads down to the sports fields.

6. The central open air street, which functions as an informal outdoor room, links the various teaching and recreational volumes.

7. Despite its dislocation from the city, the form of the school is intended to encourage a kind of civic and social life.

8. Part of the axial Street.

9. A basic palette of raw concrete and corrugated galvanized steel gives the buildings a functional, industrial quality. Despite the apparent formal complexity, Morphosis' school cost no more than a more conventional one.

10. Daylight from landscaped patio courtyards filters into classrooms.

11. Band practice forms an impromptu moment of theatre on the street.