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Orange County Great Park Visitors Center
Irvine, Calif.
by: Veronica Lepe
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The City of Irvine issued a contract for the construction of the Orange County Great Park Western Sector Development Plan in early 2012. The project was completed in mid-2013. The project included construction of a Visitor Center Pavilion, South Lawn and parking lot improvements.
The Visitor Center’s most dominant interior material used was wood. The design utilized wood slats on the ceiling and walls. I think this was a great material to choose because the park is themed around gardens and sustainability. Wood brings the outside in using natural colors and materials.
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| South Elevation View and Ceiling |
The next dominant feature was the wall to wall and ceiling to ceiling windows. (See photo above.) Again, I believe this was a great selection because the view on the west side is the acres of the green park and hot air balloon the city has an attraction.
On the north wall, the most interesting wall, the design incorporated exposed CMU walls and an orange resin panel. I believe this successfully utilized a trendy style in which the construction elements are exposed and used as a decorative feature. I also like that orange was a part of the color selections because of Orange County.
The first material I noticed when entering the center was the floor finish. It was a terrazzo finish. Although, I believe this was a great choice in concerns with longevity and color, I don’t believe the installation was clean. I could see cracks in the floor and the building is only about a year old.
Even the materials as decorative features on the exterior of the building were interesting. The design used “El Toro” rocks to stack and form a wall. Instead of using a mortar or cement to keep them in place, a fencing material was used to wrap them. My understanding is that these rocks were recycled when grading the site for construction.
Overall, I believe that selections of the materials were successful in creating not only a simple yet cohesive design but applied careful considerations of the occupancy the center may withstand in the future.
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16 comments:
This is an interesting building. Very modern and clean on the interior and an unfinished look for the exterior. I like your honest comments on the materials and finishes.
Veronica!
Above all, I'm living near by this visitor center and I've been there, so your research is really familiar with me and interesting. ^ ^
The concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls, an orange resin panel, wood ceiling, and stone floor provide a trendy style and harmonious mood.
Thanks for making me recognize good design of this place. I may remind your research when I visit Orange County Great Park!
I love that rock wall! It adds so much character to the structure.
I love those terazzo floors! In Idaho the mortar wall is called a rock jack. Good job! Jenny Shaffer
Love the use of materials as decorative features. great article and photos!
Very interesting fact about using the rocks from the old El Toro base. This was great material to utilize in the architecture. - Luisa Villatoro
I love how the design of the "El Toro" rock wall was a mix of the organic and inorganic. Too bad the terrazzo floors weren't spec-ed properly, but overall, the space is really beautiful. Great job!
It is wonderful that they had a theme of using wood, which worked well with this space because the park is themed around gardens and sustainability. And there is plenty of natural light because of the big windows.
The outdoor wall is so cool!!! Rocks and barbed wire create a industrialization feeling, very unusual.
Veronica! The pictures are great. I have been to this center and really enjoy the place, Just went last week for an event at the Great Park and your words are right on. The rocks and wire create an industrial vibe which is uncommon in Irvine.
Great job Veronica! Glad to read about recycled rocks from El Toro base. It add some sense of history. ;)
Great Photos! I loved how these simple materials were used to create a dramatic affect. My favorite is the metal fencing rock wall.
This area was not complete the last time I went to the Great Park so I really enjoyed seeing the development, awesome blog choice! I love the use of wood and natural materials in a different way, beautiful pictures!
Its awesome how the rocks were stacked to create a wall. I really enjoy visiting this place. Next time I'm there, I will be noticing all of these materials.
Very interesting to learns about the use of stone/concrete products. I liked the picture of the wall were you can see the mesh surrounding the stones.
Very nice material use! Thank you for your hard work!
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