The famed Griffith Observatory, located in the heart of the Hollywood hills, receives close to two million visitors every year and has appeared in such films as the classic “Rebel Without a Cause” and the not-so-classic “Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.” Complete with a solar telescope and a 12-inch refracting telescope, multiple scientific exhibits, and one of the world's largest planetarium domes, the structure remained virtually untouched since its opening in 1935. By 1998, though, it was clear that the structure was well overdue for a full renovation, as well as a major expansion to allow for more exhibit space, offices, and visitor amenities.
Pfeiffer Partners and Levin & Associates Architects, both based in Los Angeles, took on the observatory's rehabilitation and expansion plan in 1998, with input from observatory staff, the city of Los Angeles, and the Friends of the Observatory, a nonprofit support organization. Their first and perhaps most important decision: to make sure any addition did not negatively impact the planetarium's exterior. The Building Team got around that obstacle by going underground and constructing almost 40,000 sf of new space underneath the observatory's front lawn.
“This is a very unique solution to providing much-needed space,” says BD+C Renovation Awards judge Jeff C. Pratt, P.E., principal for KJWW Engineering, Naperville, Ill. Several above-ground elements were added to the original structure, including the Café at the End of the Universe on the western edge. The designers took special care to make the newer buildings blend in visually with the original. “It's a good example of where less is more,” says Pratt.
Armed with a $93 million budget, an expert Building Team was assembled, complete with mural, paint, metal, and exterior envelope conservators. Though a lot of work went into the entire exterior, it was the dome, the structure's most dominant feature, that proved to be the most vexing problem. Made of concrete and covered with copper plates, the original copper material was removed in order to waterproof the concrete underneath. The challenge, though, was setting up a scaffolding system around the dome without actually touching it. The Building Team got around this by placing a structural tower in the planetarium pit and raising it through the dome roof. The tower supported outrigger trusses, from which the scaffolding system was suspended and anchored to the dome's base.
Lead-based paint also had to be removed from the exterior concrete walls. The walls were covered during the paint removal, repaired, and then repainted with a breathable elastomeric coating. The original metal window grilles, granite entry steps, and bronze elements only required minor repairs and cleaning.
Griffith's interior renovations were consistent with the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. Special attention was given to preserving the Hugo Ballin and A.B. Heinsbergen murals. The central rotunda and the Foucault pendulum were also restored to original condition.
Related Stories
Events Facilities | Aug 31, 2016
New York State Pavilion re-imagined as modern greenhouse
The design proposal won a competition organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and People for the Pavilion group to find new uses for the abandoned structure.
Performing Arts Centers | Aug 31, 2016
Sydney Opera House scheduled for $200 million upgrade
Acoustical improvements will be made alongside upgrades in accessibility, efficiency, and flexibility.
| Aug 30, 2016
CONVENTION CENTER GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top convention center sector design and construction firms
Gensler, LMN Architects, AECOM, Turner Construction Co., and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest convention center sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 27, 2016
Yellowstone Park Foundation receives $1 million donation from Toyota
The money will support new eco-friendly and efficient buildings on the park’s Youth Campus.
University Buildings | Aug 16, 2016
New images of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts revealed by Michael Maltzan Architecture
The arts center will foster creativity for making and presenting works across all disciplines
Cultural Facilities | Aug 1, 2016
A retractable canopy at Hudson Yards will transform into a large performing and gallery space
The Shed could become the permanent home for New York’s Fashion Week event.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 30, 2016
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects selected to design Obama Presidential Center in Chicago
With experience designing cultural and academic facilities, Williams and Tsien got the nod over other search finalists like Renzo Piano, SHoP, and Adjaye Associates.
Urban Planning | Jun 9, 2016
Triptyque Architecture designs air-cleansing hanging highway garden in São Paulo
The garden would filter as much as 20% of CO2 emissions while also providing a place for cultural events and community activities.
Education Facilities | Jun 1, 2016
Gensler reveals designs for 35-acre AltaSea Campus at the Port of Los Angeles
New and renovated facilities will help researchers, educators, and visitors better understand the ocean.
Cultural Facilities | May 23, 2016
A former burial ground in Brooklyn becomes a public space whose design honors vets
The site is one of six where TKF Foundation is studying the relationship between nature, the built environment, and healing.