|
This
project replaced the previous Earl Thomas Reservoir at the Alvarado
Water Treatment Plant in San Diego, adjacent to Lake Murray. The new
reservoir holds 35 million gallons of treated water and was
constructed utilizing prestressed concrete.
The
design included a complete redesign of Alvarado’s entrance.
When originally built in 1950, the facility was designed with a grand
entrance sequence beginning with a formal gate and entry columns on the
west side of the plant. This entrance, which directed all plant traffic
through a residential neighborhood, was later closed. Since that time
plant traffic has been directed through a back gate. The new Earl Thomas
Reservoir project includes a new entrance for the plant based upon the
original formal entry gates. The new entry includes expanded security
capabilities, and creates once again a grand sequential entry for
Alvarado.
New entry columns,
modeled after the originals, grace the entrance, and a public parking
area for use by visitors to Mission Trails Regional Park is adjacent
the entry. The project’s landscaping, encompassing the facility’s
perimeter, is primarily native, making use of both sycamore trees and
coast live oaks. The reservoir roof is considered an environmental artwork
and was designed by Project Artist Robert Millar. It is ringed in hundreds
of Italian cypress trees to help all who enter the plant visualize the
enormous scale of the underground reservoir. Millar says, “The design of
the original plant celebrated the accomplishment of providing such an
abundance of water for arid San Diego. Our redesign of the entry
procession presents the spectacular feat of providing much larger
quantities today, but I think the design also adds a healthy dose of
self-examination to the finished product.” |
