GGN

Swipe to see the newly opened up views and restored public entry into the magnificent courtyards and arches!

Since 2019 GGN has been a creative and technical partner with PacSci and its diverse community, to study ways to preserve and celebrate this landmarked treasure of a space designed by Minoru Yamasaki, while welcoming more people, curiosity, and nature into the space.

At the South Entry, we are delighted to see the positive response from visitors who have come to watch the former gates and surrounding barriers (all added into the 1962 entrance plaza in the 1990s) come down!

construction performed the surgical work to remove the interconnected, dense layers of 1990s additions from this courtyard entry with minimum disturbance and maximal questions from curious passerby.

This was originally the main public entry to the US Science Pavilion (now PacSci).

At this (now restored and reopened) courtyard entry, guests crossed into the courtyard by ascending or descending stairs that lead to floating platforms that bring a person’s body through the air, light, and the ethereally inspiring Arches.

Mr. Yamasaki intended this entry as a communal ritual of civic crossing — leaving the regular ground of our days behind us — clearing distractions and opening our minds together, for taking in the new ideas and exhibits within the Pavilion.

Today, visitors to and can once again stroll freely into and through the magical, mind-clearing Arches to find a place of both inspiration and respite, community and contemplation. We suggest exploring the many beautiful and innovative details in this significantly intact work by Minoru Yamasaki, including original planters and benches!

Go check it out to see an example of the power of “doing less” in design and construction to reveal more for all of us to enjoy. Thank you to for welcoming curiosity and for being brave with experimenting in their own space.

This month’s Backstory in features .malda ‘s process drawings and thoughts about taking part in and learning from the extraordinary project.

On Friday will deliver the keynote session in the annual Aggie Workshop to draw together students and professionals around creative conversations and design topics.

This year’s Workshop@theme is around Observation, so Shannon will bring thoughts and exercises around ways to use hand drawing to help a designer to see and to communicate the unseen.