Located inside the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), the SCI-Arc Gallery is a free gallery in LA’s Arts District: one enclosed room with video screens, decorated walls, and multiple 3D objects at, above, and below eye level, generally comprising a single exhibition at a given time. On our visits, the themes have leaned heavily futuristic, spotlighting curator Liam Young’s architectural and conceptual ideas with science fiction backdrops and stories on the walls, but the Gallery also hosts student exhibitions, as well as explorations of contemporary architectural challenges – Shigeru Ban’s proposal for practical interim housing following the Altadena fires, as just one example. The brief walk from the school’s entrance to the Gallery also offers glimpses at student projects in the works, including intricate 3D-printed buildings and objects.
Though SCI-Arc Gallery is fairly small, requiring only 15-30 minutes to see, its contents tend to be memorable – thought-provoking enough to merit additional consideration and discussion. Parking and admission are both free, the latter requiring registration at a security desk inside the school’s front doors.
