North Hollywood Station
2000
James Doolin, station design artist
Anne Marie Karlsen, station mural artist
The Tanzmann Associates, architects
The overall theme and design of the station was established by artist James Doolin and The Tanzmann Associates, while artist Anne Marie Karlsen designed and produced the nearly 4,000 square feet of hand-painted tile murals. Doolin and Tanzmann’s design for the station celebrates North Hollywood, honoring the broad valley where succeeding generations of immigrants have come to find “The California Dream,” and recognizes the diverse people who continue to come to this area to fulfill their aspirations.
Curves, arcs, and circular motifs contribute to an overall design that surrounds transit patrons in an environment that is at once dramatic, energetic, and magical. Bright and bold green, yellow and orange tones recall the area’s rich history as a citrus and peach-growing capital.
Travelers will make their way into the station down a dramatic entrance stairway that flares out beneath three colorful arched canopies. Overhead, Karlsen’s large tile murals depict kaleidoscopic collages that reflect the station’s theme of “The California Dream.” At the base of the stairs, a chamber bathed in natural light from above provides an inviting prelude to the mezzanine gallery, where circular and semi-circular niches act as giant kaleidoscopic viewing lenses that reveal breathtaking ceramic imagery celebrating the San Fernando Valley’s spirit. The mural series is entitled Kaleidoscope Dreams.
"The task of the architects and myself was to transform a potentially impersonal and gloomy hole in the ground into a space that provides a pleasant adventure upon entering, feels friendly, and is relevant to a community of culturally diverse people who will use this station.” James Doolin
“Metaphorically, the kaleidoscopic collage images used in the murals reflect the rich diversity of indigenous and immigrant histories, aspirations, struggles and realizations of dreams. The complex design incorporates each of the distinctly different realities, while at the same time transforming them to create a whole new design, rich and dynamic in its composition.” Anne Marie Karlsen
“We researched the area’s history, talked with members of founding families and also with newcomers. We met with community leaders and everyday folk. It became clear that a constant in this area of rapid population change is our dreams. We dream of the past, and we dream of the future. Our memories, our dreams, and our goals keep us all going. After much research and many meetings, we knew we had finally found our station’s conceptual theme—The California Dream.” Virginia Tanzmann & Carl Davis