Architectural Inspiration
|
History – Taking a cue from the City’s historic past, the architectural inspiration for the design of the Brentwood Civic Center buildings is based on the old Brentwood Hotel and will fit comfortably into the fabric of the downtown environment. This design is also intended to aid in the vision for what Brentwood will become in the future. A magnificent, $50,000 hotel offering guests every convenience and service available at the time (circa 1913), was one of the most modern establishments in this region of California. The Brentwood Hotel was a two-story structure, built in semi-Mission ornamental style of reinforced concrete and steel. It consisted of forty rooms, including three suites, and two courts beautifully arranged for the pleasure and comfort of its guests. The outdoor pergolas and lawns were kept neatly manicured, and guests could often be seen taking tea there on a Sunday afternoon. Inspiration – During the time of construction of The Brentwood Hotel, there was a prevalent architectural style in California. Irving Gill was responsible for the development of this particular style. Irving Gill was born in Syracuse, New York in 1870. In 1890 he joined the firm of Adler & Sullivan where Louis H. Sullivan influenced his outlook on the need for an “American Architecture.” Gill practiced a variety of eclectic styles, ranging from Beaux-Arts to Shingle Style to Prairie Style. In 1906, he began to make bold use of concrete and hollow tile, a technique that became one of the hallmarks of his career. He created a relatively inexpensive tilt-wall construction system that allowed for a great deal of artistic expression. This system allowed him to modify the existing California mission style into a simplified modern style. |
Artist Renderings and Conceptual Drawings
| The Civic Center project will feature references to the historic past of Brentwood, most notably the simplified Mission Style architecture. A strong ground level arcade feature will link all of the Civic Center structure together and provide a pleasant, covered pedestrian environment, which could also be used for art shows, festivals and community events. |
Computer Renderings and Building Elevations
|
These computer renderings are enhanced versions of the artist’s renderings and provide more aesthetic detail. As the materials and finishes for the buildings are further defined, these renderings will change accordingly. |
History Art Walk
| An important feature and an inspired element of the building design is the conceptual feature of the “History Walk,” which will be designed to reflect Brentwood’s rich history and tell the story of its past. Starting at the center of the Civic Plaza and winding its way throughout the Civic Center arcade, date markers will be placed to celebrate significant moments in time that are important to Brentwood’s past. The walk will encompass several different components that will include historical plaques along the interior walls of the arcade, inscribed concrete walkways and wall murals.
In addition to showcasing highlights in Brentwood’s history, this feature also satisfies the public art requirement of the project. LPA, Inc. will be working with City staff, the Historical Society and the Arts Commission to artfully tell the story of Brentwood throughout the Civic Center. These images shown give some examples of how this timeline can be incorporated into the arcade and the areas surrounding the Civic Center. The City is interested in your thoughts or ideas pertaining to this history walk. If you have suggestions for important dates in Brentwood’s history, please visit the comments section of this website and submit your ideas! |
Public Art Concepts
City Hall Wall Mural The City Hall wall mural will be painted on to the City hall exterior wall, a full-color mural with an anti-graffiti coating. Work on the City Hall mural will begin upon completion of construction of Phase 1A, which will be late May / early June 2011. Preparation work for this project will begin prior to completion of Phase 1A and the actual mural work will begin no later than April 2011 with a late May 2011 completion. |
|
 Click for full size |
Civic Plaza Fountain Mosaic The Civic Center Plaza fountain will be covered with a detailed mosaic tile, depicting life in Brentwood. The fountain mosaic work process will take approximately five months from creation to completion and will begin no later than January 2011 with a late May 2011 completion. |
Concept 1 Concept 2 |
Children’s Play Area Fence The City Park Children’s play area fence will be a decorative, play fence along Oak Street near the play equipment. Estimated completion time for the full process is ten weeks. Process to start no later than August 2011 with a completion date of mid-October 2011. |
