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.

GlobeSt.com: What are the challenges of accomplishing this design?
Hamer: The main challenge is the fact that this park sits on top of a parking garage that's been operable since the mid-1950s! That means building a park on structure, accounting for the weight of trees and understanding how this parking garage can remain operable in the future. Second, this is an important place for many stakeholders in downtown Los Angeles – business owners, developers, residents, advocacy groups and the city government itself. Everyone wants this space to be great and we have to lead with a vision that will serve Angelenos for many generations

GlobeSt.com: The Pershing Square area has changed a lot in the last few years. How will this redesign fit into the new and evolving community?
Hamer: The area around Pershing Square, really all of downtown Los Angeles, has been re-energized by the return of residents as well as creative offices, shopping and so on. More people than ever are calling downtown home, for its nightlife, restaurants, walkability and connectivity. Pershing Square is at the heart of a growing community, one that needs space for the activities of daily life and a green oasis to take a pause from the sidewalks and streets. We think that this design which focuses on shade, the return of nature, gardens and natural tree canopy will increase the value of property downtown, attract residents and provide a beautiful amenity that will define DTLA as one of the most vibrant and attractive places to be in Los Angeles.

Instant Insights /

Pershing Square Adopts “Radical Openness” Design

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