In keeping with the building’s original concept, the interior multilevel, orthogonal gardens are the heart of the campus. But, after a half century, the dull planting scheme needed updating. Reflecting the museum’s three collections—art, science, and California history—Hood has organized the many terraces according to five distinct California eco-regions: low desert outside the fine arts gallery, coastal forest outside the natural-sciences gallery, woodlands outside the California-history gallery, and Mediterranean on the roof (one of the early green roofs in a modern building). The coastal prairie, represented by wildflowers, is not restricted to a single level. The new plantings enliven the gardens but do not distract from the original Hanging Gardens of Babylon effect. Addi­tionally, planters were created for the café to grow vegetables and herbs. Marking the center of the courtyard is a new stage for a variety of events; its overhead steel frame and dimensions are based on the building’s 20-foot structural grid. New accessible ramps disrupt the careful geometry of the original plaza somewhat, but they are not jarring. And sculptures by local artists such as Ruth Asawa, Peter Voulkos, and Viola Frey have been restored and placed all through the outdoor spaces. At the time of reopening, the plantings were not complete and, of course, some will take years to mature. And more work remains to be done, especially the restoration of the extensive wood doors, windows, and trellises within the gardens.

Yet with its sensitive renovation, the team here has skillfully modified the landmark’s tough exterior by quite literally opening the building’s walls to the thoughtfully revitalized gardens, finally allowing the museum to fulfill its mission as a public space for all.