But that would require that the builders of each facility take a leap of architectural faith. I'm willing at least for now to keep an open mind about Metro's plans for Union Station, which are in their earliest stages. Farmers Field, on the other hand, shows few indications that it will be anything but a smooth and compliant — if huge — complement to L.A. Live and Staples Center.
After a brief moment of optimism about ambitious civic architecture in Los Angeles following the triumphant opening of Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003, it appears the city could revert to its status as a place where the most talented local architects struggle to get any sizable hometown commissions, and where the most expensive projects tend to be among the most architecturally conservative.
