Creating Spaces That Foster Dialogue And Debate

Drawing inspiration from Democracy itself, architect Brenda Levin gives form to one of L.A.'s great cultural institutions.

Established to inspire and educate all people to live by democratic principles, the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy opened October 28 in Little Tokyo. Designed by renowned L.A. architect Brenda Levin and her firm, Levin & Associates, the NCPD combines an adapted Buddhist temple with new construction that will house the center’s educational displays and cultural events. The Planning Report presents Ms. Levin's remarks at the center's opening, in which she explains the crucial connection between architecture, education, and democracy.

"Every architectural commission begins with: an idea, a defined program and a mission. It is the architect’s challenge to translate these intangible goals of the client into a building that transforms the ordinary by giving order, scale and beauty to built space."