The sky is bright white. It’s 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday, and two dozen people are lined up in front of Courage Bagels on Virgil Avenue. Everyone is desperate for shade. Some foodies hold paper parasols to block the sun. Lucky diners, lox and schmear in hand, sit under frilly outdoor umbrellas. Half a block away, an unhoused person sprawls under a jacaranda.
I’m driving—AC blasting, terrier panting in the back seat—on the hunt for some recently deployed bus shelters designed by SOM with BMW’s Designworks and Studio One Eleven. The irony is not lost on me.