Pershing Square Adopts “Radical Openness” Design

Pershing Square is getting a new look. The Downtown Los Angeles neighborhood—which has seen significant new development—is being redeveloped by the city. Design agency Agence Ter has unveiled a “radical openness” concept for the project, which will create accessible green space for the community. The park, which currently sits on top of a parking structure, will be redeveloped at street level with views from Fifth Street to Sixth Street and Olive to Hill, and will feature a reflecting pool and a smart canopy that provides light in the evening and shade during the day. To find out more about the project, we sat down with Lauren Hamer, project manager at Agence Ter for an exclusive interview.

GlobeSt.com: What is your vision for the Pershing Square redesign project? Lauren Hamer: The vision is to re-open the square and transform it into a lush, green heart in downtown Los Angeles – an amenity that provides space for the daily life of residents as well as a world-class location for events and celebrations. This is the place you have a morning coffee, meet a friend, see a summer concert – a new nexus for public life in the city.

​GlobeSt.com: What inspired the “radical openness” theme? Hamer: Right now the site is quite closed – the perimeter is largely made up of walls and parking garage entrances and many people drive by and don’t even know it’s a public square! To give this important civic space back to the city of Los Angeles, the site must be “opened” but not just a little bit, quite radically. Just the experience of seeing across the park would be a truly radical change from today’s condition.