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Seen as key to the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles
by both the city's public and private sectors, Pershing
Square became the focus of a major site analysis and
reconstruction that addressed the park's physical and
social problems. The square's design, which was subject
to rigorous public process, was the product of a collaboration
between Olin Partnership and Legorreta Arquitectos.
Feedback from open forum question and answer sessions
held after six public presentations helped inform the
final design of the park.
A victim of the automobile age, this once verdant 19th
century park was excavated in the 1950's to build a
3 level underground garage. The replacement "rooftop"
park was "greened" with expansive lawns and
trees in planters, but yet could not transcend the isolation
created when all sides of the park were severed from
city street life by the garage's access ramps. The design
team reconnected the park to its neighborhood by redesigning
the ramps, creating space for new perimeter sidewalks
and new entries. Pershing Square's new entrances have
become identifiable gateways, each with unique elements:
a 125 foot campanile, a cafe, a transit station, and
kiosks.
The design of the park's interior optimizes a 10-foot
change in grade. Once a single open space, the park
is now divided into two distinct squares differentiated
by a grade change. The lower square contains a large
basin fed by an aqueduct that mimics tidal fluctuation
of the sea, filling and draining at regular intervals.
Bosques of trees with benches surround the basin and
provide shade. The upper square consists of an amphitheater
and stage. When not being used for performances, the
amphitheater is a lawn for lounging and sports; the
stage, a place to congregate and people watch. |
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