This two-part exhibition, curated by Brooke Hodge, showcased 8 architectural projects concurrently under construction in Los Angeles across distinct presentations at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the Pacific Design Center. What’s Shakin’: New Architecture in LA at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA highlighted Michael Maltzan’s expansion for UCLA’s Hammer Museum, Marmol and Radziner’s high school in South Central Los Angeles, Southern California Institute for Architecture’s new downtown facilities, Rem Koolhaas’s retail space for Prada, Greg Lynn’s Uniserv Headquarters, and Eric Owen Moss’s newest Culver City structure, the Pterodactyl. These and the other 2 projects were selected for their innovative design thinking and experimental use of materials; all were institutional, commercial, or public, not yet completed, and certain to be built. Otherwise, they represented a wide range of building types, scales, and clients, demonstrating the diversity of new architectural developments in LA.
What’s Shakin’ examined the design and construction of each of its projects while simultaneously exploring modes of architectural display. The exhibitions featured models, videos, digital imagery, commissioned photographs, and other media, including touchable material samples and books, composing dynamic displays that engaged each visitor at the multi-sensory level of architecture itself.