The Sony Rainbow Project

The contractor planted a wide mix of material to meet the site's low-water usage mandate. This included Leymus condensatus "Canyon Prine', Heuchera spp, Carpenteria californica "Elizabeth', Ceanothus "Yankee Point', and Iris douglasiana. The plant material is irrigated by a drip-line system installed prior to planting.

ValleyCrest design-build-maintain installed a $1.6 million Rainbow art project as part of Culver City, California's 1-percent arts requirement program for new developments throughout the city. This new cultural landmark arcs proudly at the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot.

For the design and design documentation, ValleyCrest used both CAD drafting software (AutoCAD) and for graphics, renderings, presentation books, and for diagrams they used Adobe CS5 (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign). Overall, the construction of the 17,453 square-foot site took a little over a week to complete. This was required by the construction schedule and opening-date commitment for the Rainbow sculpture. The design work, design documentation, presentation to the client, technical documentation, and construction observation took four months.

First Step
While the ValleyCrest design-build-maintain team spearheaded the project, the company's landscape development division served as the prime contractor directly for Sony. The first step of the project was the demolition of the site's existing plant material to upgrade the existing irrigation system so it would better serve the new plant material.

Plant Material
The project uses an almost entirely California native plant palette. Plants that are not California natives are regional natives – Arizona, Nevada, northern Baja, and other areas that are fairly close to the site's geographic region.
The design group developed a framework of landscape concepts that helped weave together the existing corporate campus, buildings and new rainbow art piece. The plant palette is made up of materials that are low in irrigation requirements and regionally native to Southern California"?uanother water savings benefit.

 

The existing tree is a Erythrina caffra. The contractor planted the Muhlenbergia rigens, Ceanothus "Dark Star', Ceanothus "Yankee Point', Artemisia "David's Choice, Arctostaphylos "Pacific Mist', and Salvia chamaedryoides at the base of the rainbow structure.

The plant palette is made up of materials that are low in irrigation requirements and regionally native to Southern California"?uanother water savings benefit.

The rainbow is 94 feet tall by 188 feet long. Its footings/foundations were installed onsite. The panels and internal framework structure were fabricated offsite. The internal framework was shipped in 40-foot segments. Some panels were installed (panel by panel) while the sections were lying flat on the ground. The sections were lifted into place by two cranes. Once the 40-foot framework sections were all lifted into place and attached, the rest of the color panels were put in place.

Quick Timeline
The scope of design-build work included site furnishings, hardscape, landscape planting, irrigation and tree preservation. When it came time for construction, the multi-disciplinary ValleyCrest team of designers, construction workers and maintenance experts were faced with a one-week timeline set in place by looming dates for the unveiling of the art piece.
This quick timeframe meant that careful coordination between the company's many divisions, including the maintenance arm of the company was required.

The trees shown include Magnolia grandiflora and Cinnomomum camphora. The planted islands in the distance in the walkway are close to where the planting installation begins.

Following the installation, ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance performed tree care work and pruning, investigative work for the design, and took over the project's ongoing maintenance. Careful attention to detail and a quick response to the customer's needs allowed the project to be completed successfully and on time.

For the 17,000 square foot project, workers planted low-water plants exclusively. All but the Salvia are California natives, yet all are low-water use plants that meet Culver City's green requirements.