Reimagining La Peña Cultural Center
Berkeley, California

[design]

Originally founded in 1975, La Peña Cultural Center has long served as a beacon of artistic resistance, community solidarity, and cultural expression. This reimagined design captures the center’s roots while translating its mission into a modern architectural language. The building’s full open frontage dissolves the boundary between street and space, inviting the public in with transparency and a welcoming civic presence. The facade becomes a living canvas—echoing the spirit of protest and creativity—with bold, expressive graffiti that reflects the center’s activist legacy. Inside, the program includes flexible offices, a multipurpose community room, and an auditorium for performance and gathering. The architecture is intentionally adaptable and inclusive, encouraging spontaneous dialogue, art-making, and cultural exchange in the spirit of La Peña’s founding values.