Rick Meghiddo, Ruth Meghiddo, Meghiddo Architects, www.architectureawareness.com , www.rick-RE.com , www.naturaltowergarden.com , Hollywood

We called it “Romeo and Julia Pregnant,” kissing. It was a project for a design competition in the heart of Hollywood. It included an 800-seat theater, a cineplex, an office building and a hotel. Most of the lower areas is accessible to pedestrians at street level. The two towers connected to each other at both the 10th floor and at the upper levels, which included restaurants and amenities. The curtain wall on both towers was conceived as a glass artwork.

Rick Meghiddo, Ruth Meghiddo, Meghiddo Architects, www.architectureawareness.com , www.rick-RE.com , www.naturaltowergarden.com , design competition

A conceptual design competition was launched in 1986 to envision “Spaces for People in the Year 2010.” The subject was free, to be presented on three tables. In foreseeing 24 years ahead we decided to deal with three top issues: the city, the oceans and outer-space.

We conceived three “horizontal skyscrapers.” Cityscraper was conceived to be a spine suspended above Wilshire Boulevard containing housing, offices and  moving systems. Its roof would have solar collectors and food-growing facilities. Oceanscraper would penetrate the Pacific at Santa Monica, would include a complex of functions under and above water level as well as turbines for the generation of wave energy. Spacescraper was conceived as a space station. Some of the inputs were humorous, such as turning Wilshire Boulevard into a park with flowing water and ways for elephant-riding and using air balloons as a mean of public transportation.