CONTINUITY OF CLIMATE AND COMMUNITY

The New Climate Research Center reframes the La Brea Tar Pits as a vital ecological archive that extends from deep time into the future of our climate. By leveraging fossil intelligence alongside living botany, the project transforms scientific research into a shared public experience, making environmental knowledge visible, accessible, and emotionally resonant.



A low, continuous L-shaped structure grows outward into the park, blending with the terrain as a climate-responsive armature. Its porous steel framework allows air, light, and vegetation to move freely through the architecture, while passive shading and natural ventilation strategies reduce reliance on mechanical systems. Two linear research wings—Botany and Animal Collections—converge into a vertical ecological observatory, offering new perspectives on the evolving landscape of the Tar Pits and the city beyond.



Public engagement is embedded at every level. The entire ground floor remains non-ticketed, creating a seamless path through excavation pits, fossil exhibits, botanical gardens, and shaded green plazas. Gradual spatial transitions dissolve the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, street and park, expert science and everyday encounters. The center becomes a familiar extension of the public realm where learning is spontaneous and participation is effortless.



At its core, the project positions plants as storytellers of our shared environmental future. Through open research environments and immersive ecological experiences, the center invites visitors to observe, question, and contribute to climate awareness. It empowers scientists and communities to collaborate in shaping a more resilient future—linking the ecosystems we have inherited, the urban world we inhabit, and the climate realities we must collectively confront.