Responding to the steep topography at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Skirball Cultural Center is organized as a series of building clusters nestled into a planted hillside. Indoor and outdoor spaces flow seamlessly throughout the complex, creating a network of gardens, courtyards, galleries and public event spaces. The center holds a museum dedicated to Jewish heritage and American democracy.

Set in the foothills between the San Fernando Valley and the city of Los Angeles, the specific site constraints led to the composition of a village of pavilions, woven one to the next. At its heart, the Skirball is founded on the notion of the paradise garden, of sacred place, of respect for humanity and diversity in all its manifestations.