Three Finalists for Orange County, Calif. Great Park

 

The Orange County, Calif. Great Park is one of the biggest urban park projects underway anywhere in the country.

The Orange County Great Park Corporation has selected three landscape design firms as semi-finalists to compete to be the Master Designer of the Orange County Great Park.

The 1,370-acre Orange County Great Park will be a major metropolitan park and the focal point of redevelopment of the larger 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro located in Irvine, California, and designated for closure more than a decade ago. The Great Park will include extensive natural areas in addition to recreational and cultural uses. The remaining 3,700-acre area include residential, educational, commercial and retail uses, and other supporting facilities.

Mirrales Tagliabue, EMBT, Spain: A highly stylized plan that calls for re- contouring the land to create a hilly terrain. Sports fields would be placed within the terrain. The central portion of the park is a meadow with a large lake-like water feature. A broad boardwalk is envisioned as a central gathering place. The runway is implied but plan appears to reflect the earlier history of the site before the development of the El Toro military base.

Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey of Mill Valley, Calif.: Plan retains the image of the runways through a series of plantings and reflecting pools. A large “air terrace” is created to provide an area for observation and activity. A land trade program is encouraged to reshape the park, with the major sports component relocated to extend the entire length of Lennar’s Education District. The frameworks of two hanger buildings are retained. An amphitheatre is added to enclose the plaza area between the hangers.

Ken Smith, Landscape Architect of New York in partnership with Ten- Arquitectos of Mexico City, Mary Miss Studio of New York and Mia Lehrer and Associates of Los Angeles: Plan creates a canyon extending along the northern border of the park site, joining with the Agua Chinon riparian corridor, and ending in a lake feature. An amphitheater faces east across the lake. Runway is retained as a linear monument to the Marine history with fighter planes stationed along its entire length.

For more information about the Orange County Great Park, go to https://www.ocgp.org