Pershing Square through the years

Pershing Square in 1937.

Pershing Square was remade to make room for a parking garage underneath it in the 1950s. This image is from July 24, 1951.

Construction of the underground parking garage at Pershing Square continues on Feb. 1, 1952. In the background is the Biltmore Hotel.

Pershing Square photographed from the roof of the Biltmore Hotel in 1984.

Pershing Square was most recently redesigned in 1994 by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and landscape architect Laurie Olin. Along with bright color and a good deal of hardscape, their design added walls and towers to the existing parking ramps along the perimeter.

The winning proposal to redesign Pershing Square calls for the walls, ramps and other barriers that line the edges of the park to be cleared away.