Standing as a beacon for downtown Los Angeles, Staples Center is a regional destination offering year-round entertainment, an extensive retail environment, sports bars, restaurants and public spaces. This multi-faceted center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Kings.

Meléndrez used strong forms and dramatic plantings to achieve a significant presence that compliments the Center’s bold architectural aesthetic. Because Staples Center is a high-volume pedestrian venue, Meléndrez focused on creating excitement with the one element that didn’t inhibit pedestrian flow—the paving. Variegated concrete designs leading into each entry mimic searchlight beams while reinforcing circulation and queuing patterns. Designers carefully balanced the hardscape required to handle thousands of people in short time periods with adequate softscape and three-dimensional elements to soften the large and expansive areas.  The surrounding streetscape was designed to fit into the context of the neighboring Convention Center, the Figueroa Corridor, South Park district, and the overall Strategic Plan for Downtown Los Angeles.

The landscape and streetscape design for Staples Center draws the energy of the events within the venue outside to the streets and open spaces that surround it. The building and its complimentary landscape provide a dramatic landmark on the Los Angeles skyline, making it a symbol of the emerging downtown economy.


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