LOHA’s revamped Santa Monica bus shelters are blue discs on stilts

Photography is by Lawrence Anderson/Esto. It became clear that the conventional mail-order bus shelter was not necessary in the sunny California climate,» added the architect. Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects   has redesigned   Santa Monica’s bus shelters by developing a modular   kit of parts that can be used to build an assortment of round blue canopies, supported on slender poles   (+ slideshow). They are accompanied by fixed stools with   the same round shape. «When we reached a pole-and-disc solution, a modular kit of parts became an obvious way to address the provision of shade in over 360 locations, each with unique site constraints» O’Herlihy told Dezeen. A selection of the stops   also utilise GPS technology to provide passengers with real-time information on the location   and approximate arrival time of buses. These details appear on independently standing consoles, known as Rider Information Displays. Ensuring ease of maintenance, the shelters are connected to alternate power sources   and feature high-efficiency LED light fixtures. Project credits:
Team: Lorcan O’Herlihy, FAIA (Principal), Donnie Schmidt (PD), Ian Dickenson, Tom Myers
Brand Identity Consultant: Bruce Mau Design
Concept diagram –   click for larger imageConcept diagram –   click for larger image The canopies also take account of the angle of the sun to maximise shading. They were all constructed with reclaimed and locally available materials – mostly steel – to lower the cost per unit. «While conducting research, we were struck by the amount of people we witnessed standing by light poles or nearby utility boxes even though a conventional shelter was only a few feet away. Los Angeles-based   Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects   (LOHA) was commissioned by the city   council to address the   bus network’s reputation as an undesirable method of transport by creating new   attractive shelters that can be easily adapted to suit every   stop.