Los Angeles is undergoing a citywide transformation. From new museums and new bridges to public spaces being reimagined ahead of the 2028 Olympics, neighborhoods across the city are seeing major investment.
Now, one of L.A.’s most beloved cultural landmarks is next in line for a significant upgrade… The Watts Towers Arts Center Campus is set to undergo a major expansion that will add approximately 30,000 square feet of new park space, creating a greener, more welcoming destination around the historic towers.
City officials recently announced that the project has secured the funding needed to move forward, with construction expected to begin later this year.
The Watts Towers campus upgrade
Credit: Studio Zewde.
Rather than changing the landmark itself, the project focuses on transforming the land surrounding it. Designed by landscape architecture firm Studio Zewde, the expansion will extend the campus eastward onto a former railroad corridor, turning underused land into a vibrant public park.
Plans call for shaded walking paths, native landscaping, public art installations, new seating areas, upgraded lighting, drinking fountains, bike racks, and flexible outdoor spaces for performances, classes, and community events. The redesign also includes sustainable features such as permeable paving and drought-tolerant planting to improve stormwater management and create a more climate-resilient campus.
The expanded grounds are intended to make the site more accessible while giving the surrounding community new places to gather, relax, and experience arts programming. Construction is expected to be completed before the 2028 Olympic Games.
The Watts Towers, one of L.A.’s most iconic landmarks
Levi Clancy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The project surrounds one of the city’s most extraordinary works of art. Built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia between 1921 and 1954, the Watts Towers consist of 17 interconnected sculptural structures, with the tallest reaching nearly 100 feet into the sky.
Created entirely by hand using steel reinforced with mortar and decorated with broken pottery, glass bottles, seashells, and other found objects, the towers are widely recognized as one of the most remarkable examples of folk art in the United States.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, the site also includes the Watts Towers Arts Center and the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center, which host exhibitions, educational programs, and community events throughout the year.
After years in the making, the final funding milestone came from a $10.1 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, completing the more than $22 million needed to begin construction.