Philadelphia’s newest oasis is in the nation’s oldest and largest urban research park. Innovation Plaza, designed by ex;it, an experiential design firm located in Philadelphia, in partnership with Andropogon Associates, landscape architects, is a green public refuge open 24/7 within the University City Science Center.  Formerly a nondescript pedestrian walkway on 37th Street between Market and Chestnut, Innovation Plaza is now a vibrant space that centers the 14-acre campus.
 
By day, Innovation Plaza reflects the energy and activity of the Science Center, with researchers and students pausing at tables and benches to work, read, eat lunch and play backgammon under the trees. At night, the Plaza is illuminated by overhead lighting from tall red portals, drawing in the community for movies, events and a café experience.
 
ex;it's design of the space was guided by the proportions of the Golden Section, as reflected in the paths of travel, landscape, seating, wayfinding, donor recognition and stained concrete blocks celebrating innovators in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The Plaza is part of a major collaboration between the Science Center and Wexford Science + Technology, a BioMed Realty company, to rebrand the 6.5 million-sf area uCity Square and connect audiences in the wider University City District through leisure, learning and activity within an urban setting.