Innovation Plaza
Golden Section Turns Red
- Wayfinding
- Donor Recognition
- Branded Environments
- Education
- Urban + Civic
A Campus Built on Ideas
As the nation’s largest and oldest urban research park, The University City Science Center (UCSC) is a place where disciplines intersect and ideas move forward. What began as a wayfinding project evolved into a broader exploration of UCSC’s identity—revealing three core ideas: Convergence, the people and perspectives coming together on campus; Community, deep ties to the surrounding neighborhoods; and Into the Future, the innovation shaping what’s next. These ideas formed the foundation for Innovation Plaza. Guided by the Golden Section—a proportional system rooted in nature and shared across science, architecture, and art—the design reflects the diversity of thinkers who call UCSC home. Architecture, landscape, and experience align through a single organizing principle, creating a plaza that connects people, ideas, and the future they’re building together.
Landscape Architecture by Andropogon Associates
Portals Into the Future
Day or night, a bold sequence of illuminated red portals draws people through the plaza, creating a powerful sense of arrival and departure. As visitors pass through the portals and enter the campus, they arrive at a place where future thinking happens. As they exit, they carry those ideas forward, reinforcing the metaphor of movement and possibility embedded in the Into the Future narrative.
Orientation and Connection
Wayfinding signage anchors both ends of the plaza, providing clear orientation to the campus, connections to surrounding buildings, and links to adjacent destinations. These signs also recognize key partners through integrated wood accent panels, tying the wayfinding elements to the broader design language of landscape seating and donor recognition throughout the plaza.
Celebrating Innovation
A central goal for UCSC was the creation of an Innovators Walk of Fame to honor the achievements of local and global innovators. The recognition system needed to integrate seamlessly with the plaza design while allowing for growth over time. A series of 30″ x 30″ concrete blocks was developed to serve as both a gathering point along the walkway and the armature for the evolving Walk of Fame.
A Place to Converge
By transforming a once-underutilized walkway, Innovation Plaza emerged as a new campus heart—reflecting the Science Center’s innovative culture while strengthening connections to neighboring institutions and communities. Designed in collaboration with Andropogon Associates, as a place where people and ideas converge, the landscape supports a range of shared uses, from gathering tables for meals hosted by the Methodist church to a viewing area for International House programming.
“Fostering a live/work/play environment in the heart of University City is a key goal for the Science Center, as we expand our footprint and rebrand our physical campus as uCity Square.”
Stephen S. Tang — President & CEO, University City Science Center
