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    Low Graphics Version  Nov 26, 2007
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Three Architectural Design Firms Picked as Semi-Finalists in Orange County Great Park Competition

The three firms selected as semi-finalists are Mirrales Tagliabue EMBT of Barcelona, Spain; Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey of Mill Valley, California; and 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.

“We have moved one step closer to finding a Master Designer with the talent and vision to give Orange County a park that will serve the needs of our local residents and become a destination for travelers from around the globe,” said Larry Agran, Chair of the Orange County Great Park Corporation.

The Semi-Finalist Design Teams and Their Great Park Concepts:

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, California: 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. The plan also includes four iconic elements: a veteran’s memorial “fog forest”, a geyser fountain, a “smoke signal” fog fountain, and a “solar grove”. Also envisioned is the use of geothermal energy plan as a component of the sustainable energy program.

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 linear monument to the Marine history with fighter planes stationed along its entire length. A crossing runway is retained in a stylized manner with segments reused as park features. The sports fields expand across Marine Way with a skate park and amateur athletics stadium adjacent to the railroad tracks. The museum district buildings are planned as earth-covered structures south of the latke. A large parking area is created within an orchard. Two whimsical elements of this plan are the use of free or minimum fee orange bicycles as a mode of transportation and three large hot air balloons as an attraction that would allows people to see the whole expense of the park. 

A jury of leading architects, designers and academics picked seven finalists in the international competition for Master Designer of the Orange County Great Park. The Great Park board of directors approved this list in May.  In July, the seven firms spent two days in intense meetings learning about the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Base, the site of the Orange County Great Park, and submitted their formal designs to the Board on September 1. Each design team  participated in a two-day public formal presentation to the Great Park Board of Directors September 23 and 24. 

The jury design panel that included Dr. Hamid Shirvani, Chair, FASLA, FRSA, AICP, President and Professor of Art and Architecture at California State University, Stanislaus; Dr. Diane Ghirardo, Professor of Architecture at the University of Southern California; Mark Hinshaw, FAIA, FAICP, Principal, LMN Architects, Seattle, Washington; Tom Oslund, FASLA, FAAR, Principal, Oslund and Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Walter Richardson, FAIA, Chairman of the Board, RNM Architects, Newport Beach, California; George Bissell, FAIA, President of Bissell Architects in Newport Beach, California; and Barbara Wilks, FAIA, ASLA, Partner of W Architecture in New York evaluated the designs based on specific criteria and provided a summary critique of all designs to the Board.

“These firms were selected because their designs came to life during the formal design-concept presentation,” said Beth Krom, Mayor, City of Irvine.  “I look forward to working with the incredibly creative design team talent demonstrated by each semi-finalist competing to be the Park’s Master Designer.

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 will be revitalized by the Lennar Corporation and will include residential, educational, commercial and retail uses, and other supporting facilities.

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


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