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Griffith Observatory Historic Renovation & Expansion

Los Angeles, California

Visited by nearly 2 million people per year, the Griffith Observatory is the only institution in California with a science museum, a major public planetarium, and a public telescope. HLB collaborated with architects Pfeiffer Partners and Levin & Associates who led the $93 million renovation and expansion of this 1935 Los Angeles cultural and scientific icon. The historic renovation included the restoration of observatory's Art Deco façade, exterior circulation, signage and monuments, as well as conservation of the existing exhibit alcoves and Hugo Ballin murals located in the central rotunda. The building was raised on hydraulic lifts in order to excavate the mountain underneath creating 40,000 square feet of expansion space, including a 200-seat theater, café, bookstore, and new exhibition areas.

Historic fixtures were refurbished and relamped with energy efficient sources and film was added to lenses eliminating existing lamp imaging issues. The façade was articulated with illumination that accentuates the exposed structural “bones” giving the Observatory a more unique prominence in the Los Angeles skyline. Various custom fixtures were integrated within signage to clarify wayfinding and also retrofitted within the existing exterior housings to preserve the historical building fabric. In the historical interior spaces, layers of light were added to enhance exhibit niches utilizing contemporary luminaires hidden within architectural elements in order to avoid aesthetic conflict with the existing historic elements. A modern approach was applied to the new expansion space utilizing color, LEDs, cove lights and low voltage track systems. Lighting levels were varied from the historic entry to the descent into the new Depths of Space generating a dramatic journey for patrons.