Mixed Use
Redevelopment

Downtown SLO Mixed Use Redevelopment
Allan Cooper
Spring - 2008

A building site in downtown San Luis Obispo along the iconic Bubble Gum Alley is to be redeveloped. The new building is to contain ground floor retail, offices and condominiums. Apart from integrating the program into the site and context we had to decide how to interact with the bubble gum wall.

I first thought about public reaction to the redevelopment. As the site is deemed iconic by the local community and known to potential tourists, I knew that I would have to treat the bubble gum wall with delicacy. Any wall I placed in that location would soon be covered with bubble gum. I chose to integrate sections of the existing wall into a new translucent block wall that would allow sunlight to filter in between the stuck gum. As time would go on and gum added, the interior shading would evolve.

Garden Alley
Façade

Bubble Gum Alley Façade

Higuera St.
Façade

Section AA

Section BB