OTL’s Role:
Graham Sculpture Garden
LOCATION
Los Angeles, California
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
GGN
PROJECT OVERVIEW
- Design
- Build
- Architectural Fountain
- Structural Waterproofing
- Custom Fabrication
At Halo, a food hall inside Brookfield Properties’ downtown Los Angeles office complex, gymnast-themed bronze sculptures by the late artist Robert Graham anchor an outdoor courtyard garden. OTL designed and built four architectural fountains serving as the sculptures’ bases, giving the reimagined plaza a striking, one-of-a-kind entrance.
PROJECT
CHALLENGE
This renovation happened while Halo stayed fully operational, with shifting barriers keeping the public safely away from construction while still allowing passage to nearby offices and restaurants. The courtyard sat atop a structural slab over a parking garage, leaving just 3.5 inches for the fountain and finishes, with coring locations further limited by underslab beams and tree pits.
OTL’S
SOLUTION
Working with GGN, the artist’s son Stephen Graham, and cultural and fine art coordinator Karen Amiel, OTL tied all four fountains to a common surge tank through gravity drains, letting prefabricated stainless-steel pans handle waterproofing within that tight clearance.
Graham modified three plinths so water coats the bronze in a lacy pattern instead of spraying from jets; the fourth kept its original rainfall effect, and an anemometer now shuts the fountains down on windy days.
Graham Garden now gives Halo’s culinary center a dazzling backdrop and the office plaza a historically rich entryway, drawing tenants and visitors back again and again.
