Like most American cities... [Los Angeles] has had to cope with increasing pressures from developers and urban planners, who tend to see urban space as nothing more than a vast machine for middle-class consumers. In this context Mr. Mayne's revamped Modernism has a refreshing honesty.

Article: NY Times - A Building as a Beacon for a City's Plans
Firm: Morphosis
Reference: Reality Bites (Land+Living)

...Mr. Mayne [does not] accept the notion that to save our urban centers, we must transform them into ersatz versions of small-town America with themed pedestrian environments. On the contrary, his design sprouts from an intuitive understanding of what gives cites their meaning: their clashing scales and vibrant ethnic mix.

...the building's relentless focus on public space reinforces Mr. Mayne's social mission. An unrepentant child of the 1960's, Mr. Mayne has long been obsessed with the ideals of early Modernism, particularly its utopian goals. This, more than anything else, has inspired him to tackle the big government projects that many high-end architects shy away from. In the process he has become adept at breathing new life into old Modernist formulas.