Photo © Lehrer Architects
Central Recreation Center Pool by Lehrer Architects LA
South Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles operates dozens of community pools each summer to help residents beat the heat. But South L.A.’s Council District 9 had been without one since 2004, when the Central Recreation Center Pool closed due to earthquake damage. In June 2016, city officials finally unveiled a new $4 million pool and bathhouse in its place. Designed by Lehrer Architects LA, the sparkling facility was an instant hit, quickly becoming a popular gathering spot for the working-class neighborhood.
As he’s done for other public projects, principal Michael B. Lehrer relied on humble, durable materials—painted concrete masonry units (CMUs), corrugated and perforated metal, and ceramic tile—to craft a dignified space on a tight budget. Bright whites and citrus greens and yellows announce the entry from the street, and a metal canopy nods to the dormers of 1920s-era houses on the block. Once inside, guests can take a dip in the 6,300-square-foot pool, or lounge and congregate on builtin bench seating that’s arranged in clubhouse-like configurations at the pool’s perimeter. The bathhouse’s extended roof canopy and a quartet of 30-foot shade towers filter sunlight and cast dynamic shadows on the water and deck. The towers, visible for several blocks and illuminated at night, have become a local landmark.
Park staff report less gang activity in the area since the pool reopened. For years, the boardedup site was such a blight on the community that when city officials solicited comments about replacing the pool, says Lehrer, some neighbors were skeptical that a pool should go there at all. Those doubts have been put to rest. “We wanted the project to be a source of pride, a place that tells the neighborhood that where they live matters,” says Lehrer. “Great design is almost a moral enterprise when you’re using public funds to accomplish it.”
