Gloriette-R1

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Gloriette-R1 is a folly made from reclaimed materials collected and remixed in Los Angeles. The site, a residential plot known as the Last House on Mulholland, is adjacent to the iconic Hollywood Sign and the landscape of Griffith Park. While the site is private, it is directly next to a highly trafficked pedestrian trail with high public visibility. 

Gloriette-R1 is in the form of the image of a house that is opening and unfolding. The roof profiles of Gloriette-R1 reference the recognizable image of a house, openings in the form of a triangle and circle aperture, and a rectangular threshold encourages passersby to wander around and look through the structure.

The size of Gloriette R1 is determined by the availability of reclaimed posts that form the main structure. Two 4”x6” posts joined together to form column. The material finish of Gloriette-R1 is corrugated metal, the same material of the Hollywood Sign.

The corrugated metal of Gloriette-R1 is reclaimed in Los Angeles and refinished in a meticulous manner with lowrider car paint. The color of Gloriette-R1 is a synthetic green – a natural color in an unnatural tone – becoming an eye-catcher that plays off the landscape around it.

The result reflects both landmarks’ past, present, and futures, while simultaneously exploring the juxtaposition of a global icon with the charming homes just below. The work is a contemporary iteration of 12th-century French garden sculptures known as gloriettes, with “R1” signifying the predominant single-family zoning in Los Angeles.

Project details

Design: Office Kovacs
Project Location: Last House on Mullholand, Los Angeles, California, USA
Typology: Installation
Built: 2023
Photo credits: © Phil Donohue

Office Kovacs

Office Kovacs

Office Kovacs is a design studio based in Los Angeles that works at the edges and intersections of public art, large scale installations, images, the internet and the landscape around us. Office Kovacs creates fun, playful and colorful work that reimagines our familiar landscapes into new collective and public spaces. Led by Andrew Kovacs, Office Kovacs has realized projects, published, exhibited and lectured nationally and internationally.