Hollywood Bowl Project Receives Outstanding Planning Award

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News & Environmental Editors

Hollywood Bowl Project Receives Outstanding Planning Award

CALIFORNIA, PASADENA, Jun. 11 -/E-Wire/Business Wire/-- The American Planning Association (APA) Los Angeles Section will honor the Hollywood Bowl with a first-place planning implementation award on June 11, 2003, at the Southwest Museum in South Pasadena, California. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and other eminent world musicians have been enchanting Los Angeles County residents and visitors for more than 80 years at the Hollywood Bowl.

"The Design Guidelines will permanently protect the historic character of the Hollywood Bowl for future audiences," said Deborah Borda, Los Angeles Philharmonic Executive Director. "We are very appreciative of the fine work done by Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates and by Sapphos Environmental, Inc. in developing the Design Guidelines and are pleased to have that work acknowledged by the APA."

The County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association sponsored the development of the Design Guidelines for the Hollywood Bowl Performing Arts Complex County Regional Park. Pasadena-based Sapphos Environmental, Inc. was retained by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association to prepare the Environmental Impact Report that recommended preparation of the Design Guidelines as a means of ensuring appropriate consideration and treatment of extant historic structures and features in future planning, operations, and maintenance activities for the National Register-eligible facility.

In 2000, the County of Los Angeles determined that there was a need to replace the acoustical shell at the Hollywood Bowl. At that time, historic preservation organizations voiced concern to the County of Los Angeles regarding the cumulative effect of incremental changes that had been undertaken at the Hollywood Bowl during its 80 years of operation. To address those concerns, the County of Los Angeles agreed to prepare the Design Guidelines to acknowledge the historic significance of the Hollywood Bowl and encourage greater architectural cohesion in future planning efforts, appropriate treatment of extant historic structures and features, and compatibility of renovations and new construction.

Constructed in 1929, the existing acoustical shell, which consists of nine concentric rings, has been the subject of multiple failed efforts to improve acoustical performance. A proposed acoustically superior rectangular shell project raised concerns from local historic preservationists. The County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association assembled a team of architects, historians, park planners, musicians, operations staff, and environmental protection specialists to develop the curved-shell concept that was ultimately approved by the County of Los Angeles, with the provision for preparation of the Design Guidelines. The project design for the new acoustical shell was prepared by Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates. Approved by the County of Los Angeles in 2001, the Design Guidelines were used to guide Phase I of the renovation of the food concessions at the Hollywood Bowl, undertaken by the Patina Group in 2002. The firm of Charles Walton Associates was responsible for the design of the concession renovations that were completed just in time for the 2002 summer season.

The Hollywood Bowl Design Guidelines were nominated for the APA Planning Award by Sapphos Environmental, Inc. Marie Campbell, president of Sapphos Environmental, Inc., who prepared the Environmental Impact Report and assisted the County of Los Angeles and Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates with the Design Guidelines, stated: "We were pleased to nominate the County of Los Angeles for this prestigious planning award. In this effort, the County of Los Angeles truly achieved the integration of the planning and environmental process envisioned by the California Environmental Quality Act."

The APA recognized the Hollywood Bowl project because of its innovative collaborative design solution to meet the goals of an improved concert performance experience, ending the cumulative historic and aesthetic degradation caused by piecemeal development, and ensuring future respect for the cultural, architectural, and historic features of the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl Design Guidelines will be used to shape the design of all future structures and landscaping within the Hollywood Bowl facility. "Sapphos Environmental, Inc. is recognized for its ability to take on controversial projects and build consensus among diverse stakeholders," said Dev Vrat, senior urban planner with Sapphos Environmental, Inc.

Additional Information

The Hollywood Bowl Design Guidelines provide a solution to integrating the dual goals of correcting gradual negative cumulative impacts of piecemeal development at the Hollywood Bowl and the need for improving the acoustical properties of the performance area.

National Register eligibility determination describes the elements of the Hollywood Bowl that convey its historic significance as a theater, as well as its landscape architecture, urban open space, and other specified features.

Sapphos Environmental, Inc. is located in the City of Pasadena. Sapphos Environmental, Inc. was established by Marie C. Campbell in 1992 to provide responsive, high-quality planning, resources management, and environmental compliance services tailored to serve the unique needs of each client. Sapphos Environmental, Inc. is certified as a minority- and woman-owned small-business enterprise with the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, Caltrans, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In addition, Sapphos Environmental, Inc. is on lists of certified biologists maintained by multiple agencies in Southern California.

For additional information about Sapphos Environmental, Inc., please visit the firm's Web site at www.sapphosenvironmental.com.

Sapphos Environmental, Inc.

Sapphos Environmental, Inc., Loren Land, 626/683-3547,

Fax: 626/683-3548, E-mail: [REDACTED-EMAIL]

http://www.sapphosenvironmental.com

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