Episode 01

Carolina A. Miranda is the arts and urban design columnist for the Los Angeles Times where she covers art and architecture as well as broader cultural stories. Prior to this, she was a long-time independent journalist contributing stories to Time magazine, ARTnews, Fast Company, Architect, Art in America and National Public Radio. She is a regular contributor for KCRW’s “Press Play” and a winner of the 2017 Rabkin Prize in Visual Arts Journalism. She served as founding co-chair of the Los Angeles Times Guild, The Times’ employee union. Find her on twitter @cmonstah and on instagram @cmonstah, and view her most recent LA Times articles here.

Show notes and Carolina’s five places:

This interview was recorded on May 18, 2021

Carolina’s article on the “Low Rise: Housing Ideas for Los Angeles” competition, referencing Panorama City.

  1. The Psychic Center of LA. Its proximity to the freeway, and LA’s freeways in general. Carolina references Reyner Banham, whose book “Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies”  and the accompanying documentary “Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles” are referenced in her article “Drive-throughs and drive-ins were fading. Coronavirus made them a lifeline”.

    Also mentioned are Lisa Anne Auerbach’s photos of psychic establishments, in particular this one of the Psychic Center abutting the freeway.

  2. La Brea Tar Pits, and the mammoths. (Also, Carry that Weight by the Beatles is mentioned.)

  3. LAX theme building (and the now-defunct Nude Nudes, pictured here. Sam First jazz bar is also mentioned.

  4. Improvised drive throughs at snack-shacks (and a less improvised drive-in church.) Special mentions:

    Chano’s Mexican drive through in Lincoln heights, where the machaca con huevo burrito is Carolina’s favorite in Los Angeles.

    Christ Cathedral complex, and related places: Neutra’s Garden Grove community church,  Isamu Noguchi gardens, the Hour of Power opening sequence on YouTube and Taco Maria. 

  5. The Stahl House by Pierre Koenig. Carolina Miranda’s piece on Paul Revere Williams, and on his archive being acquired by the Getty. The Golden State life insurance building. 

Also mentioned in this episode:

Carolina’s piece on Chilean architecture.

Avila adobe house on Olvera street

Piece by Alexandra Lange on declaring this the summer of play

East of East collection

Caribbean Fragoza

Outtake: The work of Carolina Miranda’s husband, painter El Celso is discussed. Instagram: @elcels0

Credits:

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadoopabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen, Jayna Zweiman

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

Special thanks to: Nina Briggs, Anne Predock

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Kizh, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

© 2022 Los Angeles Forum AUD, and FIVE PLACES

www.laforum.org