25 Years of JKA: 2001

2001: Our First Built Project

JKA’s first built project at Hollywood and Bronson still stands, though slightly altered. This project, done under the Urban Studio moniker, was defined by the City of Los Angeles as a billboard. However, it was designed as a “creative,” attention-attracting building corner on an existing then new structure with projecting steel trusses, polycarbonate sheets, and featured a multi-colored and ever-changing computer-programmed light show. Over the acrylic facing, neon-lit channel letters proclaim, “Hollywood Boulevard Self-Storage,” and overlaid neon stick-figures depict patrons packing and unpacking their belongings in a never-ending sequence. Conceived as an everyday homage to storage and a gateway to Hollywood, the designers cherished the patience and willingness of the client to persevere through to completion despite numerous code challenges and, of course, unexpected expenses.