'Dwell on Design' Takes on Downtown L.A. This Weekend

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Starting tomorrow, Dwell Magazine's 2009 'Dwell on Design' will call the Los Angeles Convention Center home for the second year.

The urban design expo focuses on the clean, sophisticated form that can be achieved in private spaces. But this year's attendees have a lot more to see and do -- and not just in the Convention Center's exhibition halls.

In unique L.A. fashion, six mobile food vendors will converge at MOCA's Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo as part of the Night at the Movies showcase, featuring two films about "green" buildings and the photography of Julius Shulman.

Hungry convention-goers may choose to dine at the L.A. Live complex, which opened late last year; still, Tasting Table LA's Lesley Balla talks with the magazine about twelve Dwell-worthy restaurants across Downtown, all of which have opened (or reopened, in the case of Cole's) since last year's conference.

By hosting the expo in Downtown, the relationship between public and private space plays an important role with the Sustainability Forum, which hosts talks on how to build sustainable communities, increase green space, and encourage environmentally friendly retail.

Meanwhile, for those who have experienced prefab, sustainability and modern furniture overload, a visit to the Grand Central Market or attendance of a docent-led L.A. Conservancy tour (not related to Dwell on Design) may just be the ticket for a historic architectural counterpoint to the busy exhibition.

Follow the Dwell on Design official Twitter account @dwellondesign or the conference hashtag #dwellondesign for live user-generated updates.

Are you going to Dwell on Design '09?