Ricky Watts for West 5th LA

WXLLSPACE connected Intergulf Development with artist Ricky Watts to activate a five-story breezeway wall at West 5th LA, a multifamily residential development in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The project delivered a 1,584 SQFT large-scale public art installation featuring Watts' signature gradient layering style with a Los Angeles sunset, palm trees, and building silhouettes at its center. Executed pre-TCO over ten working days, the project required creative logistical problem-solving: a telehandler positioned a 10,000-pound scissor lift inside the breezeway before hardscape was installed, and the design was adjusted mid-project after an undersized lift was delivered on day one. The resulting mural now greets incoming residents at the entry of West 5th LA, transforming a raw CMU and stucco wall into a distinctive, community-defining destination.

Intergulf Development's team needed a signature artwork for a prominent breezeway wall specified by the project architects but had no internal curator or art director to manage the commission process. WXLLSPACE engaged the development team through a cold outreach and closed the project efficiently, stepping in to manage every phase from artist sourcing through DCLA compliance and installation.

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Key challenges included:

• Four scheduling delays over six months: the project was originally scoped for July 2025 and pushed repeatedly due to active construction timelines.
• Artist schedule coordination: Ricky Watts' calendar had to be protected once set, even as the building remained incomplete with unfinished kitchens, bathrooms, and appliances.
• Lift logistics: no hardscape was installed in the breezeway, making standard lift staging impossible. A telehandler was required to physically place a 10,000-pound electric scissor lift at the wall.
• Equipment mismatch: the lift provided on day one was undersized by approximately 10 feet. The WXLLSPACE team remeasured the wall remotely and secured a larger lift the following day, requiring a proportional design adjustment to maintain visual integrity at scale.
• Pre-TCO environment: the site was active construction throughout the install window, with inspections and city approvals still pending.

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Why a mural over a blank wall: the architects had designated the breezeway wall as a feature element from the outset. Los Angeles city ordinance, administered through the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), also requires that any mural installation on a property be registered, anti-graffiti coated, and tied to a deed covenant. A mural was not optional for this surface; it was the intended outcome from the design phase forward.

• Schedule: pre-TCO, pre-city inspection environment. Four prior delays compressed the available window, and the artist's schedule created a hard start date that could not move again.
• Site access: no installed hardscape in the breezeway required specialized equipment coordination (telehandler plus scissor lift). Working hours ran 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM to maximize daily output within the install window.
• Equipment: lift availability in the Los Angeles market limited options. The team had to adapt the design to the largest accessible lift, which still fell short of full wall height, requiring a scaled composition adjustment.
• Regulatory compliance: the project required DCLA Original Art Mural (OAM) registration, including document submission, fee payment, a Notice to Proceed, a two-year covenant filing, and a mandatory anti-graffiti coating applied after the mural was complete.
• Budget: qualitative only. For detailed investment information, please connect with the WXLLSPACE team directly.

Scope Intake and Site Review

WXLLSPACE initiated contact with Intergulf Development through a targeted outreach effort. Following stakeholder alignment, the team conducted a remote site review, gathering wall dimensions, surface conditions (raw CMU on the lower two stories, stucco on the upper three), and access constraints. The 46-foot height and breezeway footprint were identified early as the primary logistical variables.

Artist Sourcing

Ricky Watts was selected from the WXLLSPACE artist network. His established gradient-and-layering technique and track record with large-scale exterior murals aligned with the scale and visibility requirements of a five-story breezeway installation. His artist landing page on WXLLSPACE (wxllspace.com/w/ricky-watts) supported the stakeholder review process.

Concept Development and Revisions

Watts developed a composition centered on an LA sunset with palm trees and building silhouettes, framed by his signature gradient layers. When the undersized lift was delivered on day one, the WXLLSPACE team coordinated a design adjustment to maintain the integrity of the image at the corrected scale. The revised composition was confirmed with Intergulf before production resumed.

Compliance and Documentation

The WXLLSPACE team managed the full DCLA Original Art Mural registration process on behalf of the project:

• Applicant contacted DCA for the OAM registration information packet.
• Completed documents and registration fee submitted to DCA for review.
• DCA issued a Notice to Proceed upon approval.
• Mural painted and installed per approved design.
• Two-year covenant filed with the property deed.
• Anti-graffiti coating applied to complete the registration requirements.
• DCA confirmation of mural registration received.

Standard compliance deliverables (COI, W9, safety plan) were coordinated as part of the WXLLSPACE project package.

Stakeholder Checkpoints

Intergulf's development manager, Brian Buchanan, served as the primary point of contact. Checkpoints included design concept review, the mid-project scale adjustment approval, and final closeout documentation.

Wall location: Breezeway (interior-facing)

Mural size: 1,584 SQFT

Height: 46 ft (five stories)

Surface: Raw CMU (floors 1 to 2), stucco (floors 3 to 5)

Access equipment: Electric scissor lift positioned by telehandler (10,000 lbs); spray machine gun for field coverage; brushes for portrait detail work

Materials: Bucket paint applied by 6-inch roller, spray gun, and brush. Anti-graffiti coating applied post-completion per DCLA requirement.

Crew: Ricky Watts (lead and sole artist)

Install duration: 10 days

Working hours: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily

Site conditions: Active construction site, pre-TCO. Units, kitchens, and appliances incomplete during install window.

• Schedule: pre-TCO, pre-city inspection environment. Four prior delays compressed the available window, and the artist's schedule created a hard start date that could not move again.
• Site access: no installed hardscape in the breezeway required specialized equipment coordination (telehandler plus scissor lift). Working hours ran 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM to maximize daily output within the install window.
• Equipment: lift availability in the Los Angeles market limited options. The team had to adapt the design to the largest accessible lift, which still fell short of full wall height, requiring a scaled composition adjustment.
• Regulatory compliance: the project required DCLA Original Art Mural (OAM) registration, including document submission, fee payment, a Notice to Proceed, a two-year covenant filing, and a mandatory anti-graffiti coating applied after the mural was complete.
• Budget: qualitative only. For detailed investment information, please connect with the WXLLSPACE team directly.