Frank Gehry's 1972 Kid City Project Restored in Film

In 1972, Frank Gehry, then an architect but not yet a global star, was recruited by his sister Doreen Gehry Nelson for an educational experiment. The project, documented in the film 'Kid City' recently restored by the Academy Film Archive, aimed to introduce young students at several Los Angeles schools to urban design concepts. Funded by the National Endowment of the Arts, Frank and Doreen developed a novel teaching program integrating all subjects into the design process of an invented city. Directed by Jon Boorstin, the documentary is available online and shows students from Westminster Elementary School in Venice building the imaginary city of Purium using polystyrene blocks, cardboard, and other common materials.