Overview

A busy public space dating back to 1886, Pershing Square is right in the middle of downtown. Once filled with lampposts, palm trees and a central fountain, this five-acre area was reinvented by architect Ricardo Legorreta in 1984 to acclimate it to its transformed surroundings. The park has since been stripped of its grass and trees, and is now dominated by a 120-foot high purple campanile (tower), a Legorreta favorite. The park is also full of Californian symbols, the most prominent of which is a fake fault line that runs from one corner of the park to the other.