Putting Angelenos at the Heart of Exposition Park
Exposition Park and the California Science Center (CSC) as we know it today were conceived in the early 1990s. This was a time of heightened racial tensions and social unrest in Los Angeles, particularly in South Los Angeles where the park and the museum are located. When it was decided to evolve the then-named California Museum of Science and Industry, some questioned the choice to remain in this part of the city that was known for its underserved communities and heightened adversity. However, the decision to keep this civic destination dedicated to inspiring science learning at Exposition Park was an intentional one. The same leadership that sought to transform the institution from a traditional science museum into an awe-inspiring, interactive science education facility also recognized that it was a crucial cultural thread in the fabric of the community, and that it would play a vital role in preparing historically marginalized youth for careers in science, engineering, and math.
We credit ZGF for their ability to create and strengthen community through design, to simultaneously innovate and preserve, and for their talent to not only listen, but to hear. We could not be prouder of what ZGF has helped us to realize.
Jeff Rudolph, CEO & President, California Science Center
The existing Exposition Park in the early 1990s reveals a fragmented scheme surrounding the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum stadium, with surface parking lots and hardscapes in lieu of public green space.
ZGF was selected to develop the Exposition Park and CSC master plans, and to design each building in the three-phased redevelopment of CSC. The team’s first order of business was to ensure that the local community was considered every step of the way. A community advisory committee was established, and monthly community meetings drew hundreds of South LA residents, elected officials, and public agencies for listening sessions and collaborative design presentations. ZGF, along with CSC, used this forum to not only share planning and design concepts with constituents but actively invited their input to ensure they felt part of the process, saw their community represented and respected in the design, and ultimately felt a sense of welcome and ownership of the re-envisioned institution.
Community meetings were held by the Community Advisory Committee comprised of team members from the California Science Center, ZGF, RAW International, and both local and state representatives in an effort to create a team that reflected the diversity found in the community.
Through this series of iterative community meetings, the people of South LA made a few things clear. They wanted a safe, welcoming park where their kids could play and their families could enjoy recreational activities without the shadow of the existing intimidating fences. They also wished for historic elements to be preserved with care: the original 1912 State Exhibition Building (renamed the Howard F. Ahmanson Building during phase 1 of the CSC master plan implementation) and the Rose Garden, which was, and still is, a beloved site for weddings and other milestone life events and celebrations. This cued the ZGF team to integrate the historic architecture of the Ahmanson Building into the new architecture of the expanded and modernized CSC. On one side of CSC, the preserved structure overlooks the iconic Rose Garden as it always has. The new architecture that forms the majority of CSC is distinctly contemporary yet pays homage to its historic companion through the rich colors and unique tile design of the façade.
Completed Phases 1 and 2 of the California Science Center, which includes the museum’s main exhibit hall, an IMAX theater, Science Court, and the Ecosystems exhibits. The third and final phase—the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center—is currently under construction and will complete in 2025.
Based on feedback from the local community, the historic Ahmanson Building (left) was preserved and served as inspiration for the tiled façade design of museum's new additions (right).
Community feedback also guided the design team to ensure the arrival experience felt welcoming to all people, but especially the local community. Defying traditional architectural styles typical of many museums, which can be daunting and difficult to access, the design team performed iterative studies on how to morph the perception of the building. Pulling CSC’s IMAX theatre away from the main building and setting it at a 45-degree angle broke up the massing and created the opportunity for a protected, open-air rotunda in between, which formed CSC’s memorable and accessible “front porch.”
Thirty years later, the impacts of those early community engagement efforts can be seen not only in the design but in the running of CSC itself. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods are employed at all levels and across all business units, they are members of the executive board, and liaisons and leaders of the education and workforce development programs that nurture local K-12 students. For California Science Center, organized community meetings are no longer necessary because the community is no longer a separate entity to be engaged.
This is a story of how community engagement in the urban planning and architectural design process not only created an inclusive and equitable environment that reflects the community in which it’s planted, but ultimately blurred the lines between community and institution.
