The Redwood Pergola

The Redwood Pergola in Santa Monica features thick, unfinished redwood beams that darken to a deep, weathered brown against the coastal sun. This structure emerged from the city's nineteen eighties push to revitalize the downtown core, replacing a parking lot with a public space intended to mimic the feel of an old-fashioned streetcar stop. Architect Peter Walker anchored the design here, using the heavy timber to frame views of the ocean while grounding the modern urban landscape in California's natural building materials.