La Brea Tar Pits Set for Makeover

NBCUniversal, Inc.

The La Brea Tar Pits are set for major renovations, according to plans revealed Thursday.

Architect couple Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi were chosen to redesign the Tar Pits' 13-acre campus.

The renderings for the makeover include plans for a bridge over and pedestrian path around the Lake Pit, panoramic labs to watch research being conducted and an expanded terrace on the museum's roof for public events.

Although the current plans include only conceptual designs that are subject to change, they are intended to make the Tar Pits more inviting, accessible and thought provoking.

"We want this project, when it's built, to seduce. We want the project to instill a sense of wonder in someone who might not have any interest in paleontology," Manfredi said.

Weiss and Manfredi' firm will spend the next year finalizing the design plan, and it will be another five to seven years before construction is complete.

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