Entry Plaza Reconfiguration and Rehabilitation of Historic Gate House

LOCATION: 

Arcadia, CA

CLIENT: 

Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation

TIMELINE: 

Completed 2023

A treasured public resource, the reimagined entry experience at the Los Angeles Arboretum works to celebrate the historic mid-century design that has been hidden underneath years of modifications. As part of a proposal to reconfigure the entry plazas, the project included the rehabilitation of the Entry Gate House to its original configuration.  

Our role helped envision peeling back the layers on the Gate House designed by Allison & Rible Architects and return it to its original use as the main gateway into the park.  As part of the building rehabilitation, the peaked roof on the north side of the gate house was returned to it’s original configuration with an open trellis over the pavillion. 

The collaborative team effort for the new Visitor Plaza amended existing parking, clarified wayfinding, restored historic buildings, and created a simplified and universally accessible entry and orientation sequence. A major component of this project was the the site improvements for creating an accessible path of travel from the parking lots to the entry.  New accessible ramps built into the site will allow visitors to move barrier free from the south parking lot to the main entry.