Homeless + Architecture
My family and I attended the Long Beach Grand Prix over the weekend. I drove separately to meet a friend (to attend his reading for Vamp) in LA that evening, so I had some time to kill after the race. I decided to get my camera and explore the beautiful Billie Jean King Main Library. Designed by the architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and completed in 2019, I first became aware of the library about a year ago when helping my wife out at one of her jobs in the area. I was immediately struck by the low slung roof, wood construction and its almost mid-century lines.
I'm not sure if it was because it was closed that day or what, but it had virtually become a homeless encampment. There were tents and sleeping bags along every the side of the building, in the shade of the second story overhang, and in the adjacent Lincoln Park.
“A blight on a civic masterpiece”, was my initial reaction. I think we all guilty of similar thoughts when encountering the destitute amongst us. It sucks. It sucks for them, and it sucks for everyone else just trying to live their life. It sucks for police. It sucks for city leaders.
We’ve clearly failed somewhere here. I think it’d be disingenuous to blame any one thing. My life has been fortunate (dare I say privileged?), so trying to put myself in the shoes of a homeless person feels foreign… but you know what? If I were living on the streets I think I would camp out in the shadow of a beautiful building too.
I decided to capture the scene as is.
