Finalists chosen for new Silver Lake Reservoir master plan

Plans to craft a revised vision for the Silver Lake Reservoir took a step forward this week, with the selection of three firms as finalists to create a master plan for the site.

The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering announced Tuesday that the three landscape architecture firms chosen are Agence Ter, Hargreaves Associates, and Perkins Eastman.

Each competitor will discuss their qualifications for designing the project with the public at a town hall meeting in Silver Lake on December 4.

The new plan will guide redevelopment of the reservoir complex as it transfers from an emergency drinking water storage site to a community space.

A master plan for Silver Lake, and the neighboring Ivanhoe Reservoir, was last adopted in 2000, before the two reservoirs were removed from LA’s water supply network. It guided the installation of walking trails around the complex and the opening of the Silver Lake Meadow in 2011.

Now local officials aim to expand on that plan, maximizing the reservoir’s potential as a public resource and “community gathering place,” according to a statement from the engineering bureau.

The three international firms chosen have all completed or are working on high-profile projects in the LA area.

Agence Ter was selected in 2016 to carry out a major makeover of Pershing Square that will flatten out and add gardens and green space to the Downtown LA park.

Hargreaves Associates is now working on a park which will eventually open beneath the new Sixth Street bridge.

Perkins Eastman only recently expanded into Los Angeles, but firms now associated with the company have overseen projects around LA, including the Hollywood and Highland shopping center.

According to city engineer Gary Lee Moore, 13 design teams submitted proposals for the master plan. The three finalists will take questions from community members during the December 4 meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Friendship Auditorium.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Perkins Eastman was the only firm with an office in Los Angeles. Agence Ter opened a Los Angeles office in 2016.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story listed Los Angeles Historic Park among Hargreaves Associates’ projects. The firm completed a master plan for the park’s redesign, but California State Parks eventually moved forward with a different concept.

• ‘A long time coming’: Planning the future of the Silver Lake Reservoir [Curbed LA]
• Silver Lake Reservoir south dam will offer a new option around the lake [Curbed LA]
• DWP will stop topping off Silver Lake Reservoir with drinking water [Curbed LA]