There is a hidden door in Downtown Disney. Only this one is not meant to be traversed.
Flanking a stage near the monorail station, you'll find a gleaming white tower, the work of artist and activist Nikkolas Smith, who adopted the term “artivist.” At first glance, the tower, one of Downtown Disney's most striking works, appears to be a nod to Disneyland's mid-century art, as its curved lines and space-age optimism wouldn't be out of place in Tomorrowland.
That's there, says Smith, but there are also a number of more subtle inspirations.
The tower is a nod to five black architects, pioneers whose creations sometimes went unnoticed or overlooked. And that is why at the base of the structure there is a circular opening that means a half-open door.
Downtown Disney's Legacy Tower touches on the styles of different Black architects as it rises into the sky.
(Gary Coronado / For The Times)
Smith shares a harrowing anecdote. “They had to learn to read pictures backwards, because they weren't allowed to sit next to white customers,” says Smith, adding that they also had to endure unequal pay. “So I incorporated things like the half door to symbolize their struggle.”
Officially designated as Legacy Tower, Smith himself notes that word: “legacy.” The term, he says, represents a constant theme throughout his work. Smith, a frequent collaborator on several Walt Disney Co. projects and former architect for Walt Disney Imagineering, the company's division focused on theme park experiences, is something of a connector. His canvas art, filled with fast-moving brush strokes, is often rooted in the past while urgently seeking to establish links with the present.
Artist Nikkolas Smith went viral for his portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. wearing a hoodie, a tribute to murdered teenager Trayvon Martin.
(Nikkolas Smith)
Her 2025 children's book, “The Story of Us,” tells the story of how humanity can trace its roots to Africa. And one of his best-known pieces is that of Martin Luther King Jr. in a hoodie, meant to evoke the image of Trayvon Martin, the murdered 17-year-old whose death inspired a social justice movement. The work went viral in 2013, while Smith was still working for Imagineering. It altered his professional career.
“I thought, 'I can't make art with just churros and rides right now,'” Smith says. “There is a time for that and there is also a time to talk about this.” It references his portraits related to the murders of black men, many of them at the hands of police officers, such as Philando Castile and Michael Brown.
“At the end of the day, Disney understood that,” Smith adds. “They understood that I needed to make art that was extremely important at the time, about justice or lack of justice.”
Smith left Disney in 2019 after 11 years, but maintained a close relationship with the company, to the point that Imagineering tapped Smith to design the tower, which opened in 2023.
Artist Nikkolas Smith, left, chats with guests Ricky Yost and Martina Yost of Aubrey, Texas, who recognized Smith from a recent Disney cruise excursion.
(Gary Coronado / For The Times)
As the Legacy Tower spirals skyward, its patterns and lattices nod to the likes of James H. Garrott, Robert A. Kennard, Roy A. Sealey, Ralph A. Vaughn and Paul Revere Williams. All were active in Los Angeles (Williams, for example, was a key designer on the LAX-themed building) and Smith weaves decorative embellishments in different styles that interlock with each other to create the pointed spheres of the Legacy Tower.
The door to Legacy Tower symbolizes perseverance, Smith says. “They managed to move forward, despite all the obstacles they had to go through.”
Smith had studied the architects as a student at Hampton University and has documented their various styles, ranging from understated to whimsical and ornate, on her Instagram. A section referencing Vaughn is modern minimalism, while an area dedicated to Sealey is filled with jagged, pointed lines. It's all held together by a rolled design that feels full of movement.
The Legacy Tower patterns are nods to the likes of James H. Garrott, Robert A. Kennard, Roy A. Sealey, Ralph A. Vaughn and Paul Revere Williams.
(Gary Coronado / For The Times)
“How can I show the interconnected future of humanity? That's the idea,” Smith says. “There's this African theme of Sankofa. If we look to our future, we have to look at the past and value and appreciate it. I thought it would be cool if I could actually commemorate some black designers and architects like the foundation and the backstory of the tower. And I was also thinking about these corridor block patterns that you see in Leimert Park.”
And yet, it also feels like something that belongs in the park. Smith says he looked at some Tomorrowland designs.
“Walt had a mid-century modern vibe,” Smith says, referring to the park's patriarch, Walt Disney. “That was Walt's thing. Everything connects. I love that people can now connect the two. You can connect Tomorrowland and Walt with Paul Revere Williams.”
It's clearly Smith's favorite design for Disney, though it's not the only space at the resort to feature his art. During his decade at Imagineering, he regularly worked on teams that focused on projects at Disney California Adventure, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. He was heavily involved, he says, in the evolution of Avengers Campus, contributing to a small promenade set at Pixar Pier and helping to imagine the facade of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!, which transformed the old Tower of Terror into a sci-fi structure.
Nikkolas Smith says elements of Downtown Disney's Legacy Tower symbolize perseverance.
(Gary Coronado / For The Times)
Smith fondly remembers his years at Imagineering and specifically mentions his time on the Guardians project. The former faux hotel is now filled with gleaming bronze pipes, a retro-futuristic look that, according to former image maker Joe Rohde, who led the design, takes influence from the high-tech aesthetic of architect Renzo Piano, who worked on France's Center Pompidou.
“How much can we add to it? How much can we get away with hitting this thing?” Smith says of the Guardians' façade. “What's the right amount of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' without being too much? Without scaring people on the highway?”
Today, Smith continues to focus on social justice work and has also collaborated with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, for example completing concept designs for his Oscar-nominated film, “Sinners.” Smith's 2023 children's book, “The Artivist,” documents the importance of creating art that converses with the world, believing it is not only a source of education but also empathy. Smith's weekly paintings often speak out against the current administration, and Smith has been particularly vocal on ICE raids.
A selection from “The Artivist,” an illustrated book by Nikkolas Smith.
(Nikkolas Smith)
“Some people say that all art is activism, but I believe that some of the best art that is created is art that has a message,” Smith says. “And I hope that message has to do with the humanity of all people, and I like to focus on marginalized communities and how we can value the humanity of everyone. That's why I make picture books about the origins of humanity and the origins of this country.”
The Leimert Park resident says his wife and young son regularly visit Disneyland Resort. And when he does, Smith says, he always takes a moment to stop by the Pixar Pier set he contributed to, which is often used for character meet-and-greets.
“They were team projects and I face them with great pride,” he says. “I go up on the boardwalk stage at Pixar Pier, I just walk up and touch it… The beautiful thing about Disney is that these creations usually last a lifetime.”
It turns out that you can take the artivist out of Disney, but you can't completely take Disney out of the artivist.
