About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

The Greek Theatre Project Team

Historic Architect
John Lesak – Page & Turnbull

Project Director
Laura Kos – RIOS

Lead Engineer
Ken Wong – Miyamoto International, Inc., Earthquake + Structural Engineers

Contractor
Charlie Minshew – Best Contracting Services, Inc.

Specialty / Sub-Contractor
Yoshi Suzuki – MCA Clay Roof Tile

Specialty / Sub-Contractor
Steve Lehne – K.C. Restoration

Specialty / Sub-Contractor
Yvette LaLonde – Inter-sky Custom Skylights and Daylighting

The Greek Theatre

The The Greek Theatre is the winner of a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. The Award will be presented on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at an online awards ceremony. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About this project

Originally constructed in 1930 in the Greek Revival style, the Greek Theatre is an open-air performance venue nestled into a hillside within Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. With the ever-increasing popularity of outdoor concerts, seeing a show at “the Greek”has become a summer staple for Angelinos    After decades of concessionaire operation, the City retook control of the Greek in 2015 and embarked on a multiyear off-season effort to improve the visitor experience; provide contemporary facilities for performers; improve systems; and address deferred maintenance of historic features.  Phase 1 removed inappropriate signage and marquees, renovated dressing rooms, reimagined the front plaza (restoring patron “flow”), and installed compatible signage.  Phase 2 repaired decorative steel entry gates and upgraded box seating and the sound booth.  Phase 3 improved dining options.  Finally, Phase 4 replaced in-kind the Greek’s iconic green glazed clay tile roof and skylights, while incorporating voluntary seismic and mechanical upgrades.

A white building with green roofs and a sign reading The Greek Theatre is surrounded by trees. A tented area sits in front, and an award banner notes a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation.
Aerial view of the Greek Theatre, a white building with a green-tiled roof and columns, surrounded by trees and featuring outdoor seating with red chairs in the background.
A man stands looking at black-and-white framed photographs on the wall of a well-lit hallway with numbered doors and exposed ceiling beams.
A white building with decorative molding, large black metal doors, and geometric patterns on the ground, lit by two wall-mounted lights, seen in the soft light of late afternoon.
Two workers install a large metal door using a crane and yellow straps at the entrance of a building. One person works near the base while the other observes; tools and a ladder are nearby.
An outdoor amphitheater with red seating, a large white stage building, and hills with trees in the background under a clear sky. Posters and plants decorate the building’s side.
Four black-and-white photos show women posing in and around an open-air amphitheater with mountainous scenery in the background and rows of empty seats in the foreground.