The Great Wall of Los Angeles
The Great Wall is a cultural landmark and the longest mural in the world at 2,754 feet long. It is located in
the San Fernando Valley, north of the Ventura Freeway, between the 405 and 170. It was produced under
the direction of Professor Judith F Baca and is currently being restored by the Social Public Art and
Resource Center. Plans include the expansion of the Great Wall of Los Angeles to add new decades of
history to the giant narrative work. UCLA students of the Beyond the Mexican Mural course taught by
Professor Baca and the Digital Mural Lab have been researching and designing new segments for the
mural which will extend into the 6o's 70's, 80's and 90's of California History.
The mural, located in the Tujunga Wash Flood Control Channel, was begun in 1974 and was continued,
decade-by-decade, over five summers. It brought together 400 youth and their families as well as artists,
oral historians, ethnologists, scholars, and hundreds of community members from the many, diverse
enclaves of Los Angeles. At half a mile long, it is one of the country’s largest monuments to inter-racial
harmony and a landmark pictorial representation of the history of ethnic peoples of California from
prehistoric times to the 1950’s.
The Great Wall Green Bridge (future addition)
SPARC’s plan is to replace the old bridge that was damaged int eh 1994 earthquake with a new Green
bridge which will cross the Tujunga Wash Flood control Channel between Miranda Street and Hatteras
Street on the west side of Coldwater Canyon Blvd. The new bridge will function, not only as a point to cross
the Tujunga wash but also as a viewing station and interpretive center to view the Great Wall of Los
Angeles mural and the Los Angeles River. The structure of the bridge will consist of prefabricated built-up
plate steel girders, steel framing and new poured concrete footings. The finishing material will consists of
prefabricated textured fiberglass concrete panels on the sides of the footbridge and canopy, and composite
plastic impregnated wood decking on walk able surfaces. End panels will be troweled stone face plaster
over steel framing with guardrails constructed of powder-coated steel for durability.