 Image courtesy TEN Arquitectos |
2009 Honor Award: Urban Design
Orange County Great Park
TEN Arquitectos Irvine, California
Upon completion, the Orange County Great Park will cover some 1,400 acres of land on a site that once housed the El Toro Air Force base in Irvine, California. A man-made canyon will bisect the park, which will connect existing residential communities in the area. The park, situated along a freeway and a rail line connecting Los Angeles to San Diego, should draw travelers. AIA’s jurors lauded “the use of the former runway as an inspiration and opportunity” to form the canyon, “a supergraphic that creates an urban poetic gesture at a large scale.” The program includes several cultural and arts centers to house community activities, an arboretum, a sports park, an amphitheater, and an aviation museum with information about the site’s military history.
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