The workshop won the competition for this assignment a year ago and has since held six public hearings to find the best design. Now the plan has reached its final stage of development, and the architects have unveiled their vision of the space between the town hall and the ocean, now "occupied" by the parking lot and the wasteland.
According to their plan, on this territory of 2.83 hectares by the spring of 2013 a series of "systems" will be created - bright and varied in relief zones, each of which will receive its own function and image. These will be hills, bays and winding paths between trees, streams and fountains.
The artificial hill "Big Rock" is intended for admiring the ocean and the city: for this purpose, openwork steel observation platforms resembling a seashell will be erected on its top. The Garden Hill will boast the park's most significant plant diversity, while the Meeting Hill will become a place for communication and relaxation. The Bay of Discovery is a play area for children and adults with fortresses, slides and other structures, surrounded by trees that provide shade.
The main role is given to Town Square, which will be located directly in front of the Town Hall, a historic building in the Art Deco style. It will be a flat space with a large pond, highlighting the originality of this building's architecture.
There will be a lot of greenery in the new park, the variety of species will emphasize the change of the California seasons, which often passes imperceptibly. Western plane trees, Torrey pines, fig trees, oaks and strawberry trees will be planted. In addition, wild grasses up to 1.5 m high, wildflowers and several species of desert plants will appear there.
N. F.
