Moore, Ruble & Yudell - Sunlaw Power Plant

Moore, Ruble & Yudell
Sunlaw Power Plant
Los Angeles, California

The program was for a prototype canopy and enclosure for the Sunlaw Corporation power plant in the mixed residential-industrial neighborhood of South Gate in Los Angeles. The Sunlaw Plant will be called Nueva Azalea in a nod to both the community's Spanish-speaking population and its city flower.

Photo courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell

With the privatization of energy companies, a positive public image is a requisite for success. As a contemporary design inquiry, the representation of the power plant in the landscape and the consequent imputed character of its products (and byproducts) raises issues both portentous and timely, ideological and ethical, regarding architectural camouflage, (in)congruity with context, and the nature of nature.
Sunlaw Energy Corporation has invested in developing clean-energy sources to convert natural gas to electricity. It is also interested in not pretending to be something other than what it is. At the same time, the leadership of the company is enlightened and socially conscious enough to understand the imperative to discreetly cloak itself without trying to disguise itself as an over-scaled bucolic barn or a simulated tree.

Sketch courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell

In the design process MRY looked at research tower precedents, visionary towers, towers in ancient history, towers of Babel, towers as lighthouses, towers as energy source i.e. windmills, towers as symbols, towers of information, air traffic control towers, towers as markers (campaniles, city landmarks, towers as solar collectors, towers representing culture, minarets, spires, towers of light.

Sketch courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell

As an overall concept to unify the different parts of each plant unit, two formal schemes were merged to create the final design of the elliptical cylinder juxtaposed the sweeping arc of steel canopy. This gesture acts to integrate the plant unit's smokestacks with its power generators and scrubbers. The two plant units are juxtaposed and staggered, so that we can see the silhouettes of two similar forms from the adjacent 710 freeway and from the surrounding streets. The skyline of the project formed by the curved and vertical elements provides a powerful symbol and landmark for both the South Gate community and Sunlaw Corporation.

Drawing courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell

MRY wanted to express the plant's function with an architecture that is honest, even celebratory, rather than attempt to disguise it. To accentuate the visibility and reinforce the identity of the power plant, they used high-technology, machined materials such as steel and woven-wire mesh and since ventilation is a major concern, the sweeping arc of the canopies will have less than 50% opacity. The design has many open elements throughout to accommodate the passage of air as well as for ease of maintenance of large pieces of equipment. All the sides as well as the top of the structure have openings. The plan for the building is also splayed, to reduce the massive appearance of the structure.

Photo courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell

The elliptical cylinders containing the stacks are poised at an angle, giving these towers an active silhouette against the sky. A computerized lighting system animates the leaning towers, heralding the changes of seasons and events such as Halloween or the Fourth of July by the use of graphics and colors. Information about the environment and MRY's use of energy sources can also be shown on the towers. The curved canopies reflect the distant mountain ranges surrounding the Los Angeles basin, while the rising towers evoke the dynamic imagery of Simon Rodia's famous nearby Watts Towers.

Project Credits

Owner: Sunlaw Energy Corporation
Chairman: Robert N. Danziger
President: Michael A. Levin
Project Manager: Timothy G. Smith

Design Architect: Moore Ruble Yudell
Principal-in-charge, Principal Architect: John Ruble
Principal Architect: Buzz Yudell
Associate-in-Charge/ Project Architect: James Mary O'Connor
Project Team: Ross Morishige, Lisa Belian
Digital Renderings: Ross Morishige
Watercolor Rendering: Al Forster
Color and materials: Tina Beebe/ Kaoru Orime
Graphic Design: Janet Sager

Moore Ruble Yudell arcspace features





				Features
		Moore, Ruble & Yudell Sunlaw Power Plant Los Angeles, California The program was for a prototype canopy and enclosure for the Sunlaw Corporation power plant in the mixed residential-industrial neighborhood of South Gate in Los Angeles. The Sunlaw Plant will be called Nueva Azalea in a nod to both the community's Spanish-speaking population and its city flower. Photo courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell With the privatization of energy companies, a positive public image is a requisite for success. As a contemporary design inquiry, the representation of the power plant in the landscape and the consequent imputed character of its products (and byproducts) raises issues both portentous and timely, ideological and ethical, regarding architectural camouflage, (in)congruity with context, and the nature of nature. Sunlaw Energy Corporation has invested in developing clean-energy sources to convert natural gas to electricity. It is also interested in not pretending to be something other than what it is. At the same time, the leadership of the company is enlightened and socially conscious enough to understand the imperative to discreetly cloak itself without trying to disguise itself as an over-scaled bucolic barn or a simulated tree. Sketch courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell In the design process MRY looked at research tower precedents, visionary towers, towers in ancient history, towers of Babel, towers as lighthouses, towers as energy source i.e. windmills, towers as symbols, towers of information, air traffic control towers, towers as markers (campaniles, city landmarks, towers as solar collectors, towers representing culture, minarets, spires, towers of light. Sketch courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell As an overall concept to unify the different parts of each plant unit, two formal schemes were merged to create the final design of the elliptical cylinder juxtaposed the sweeping arc of steel canopy. This gesture acts to integrate the plant unit's smokestacks with its power generators and scrubbers. The two plant units are juxtaposed and staggered, so that we can see the silhouettes of two similar forms from the adjacent 710 freeway and from the surrounding streets. The skyline of the project formed by the curved and vertical elements provides a powerful symbol and landmark for both the South Gate community and Sunlaw Corporation. Drawing courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell MRY wanted to express the plant's function with an architecture that is honest, even celebratory, rather than attempt to disguise it. To accentuate the visibility and reinforce the identity of the power plant, they used high-technology, machined materials such as steel and woven-wire mesh and since ventilation is a major concern, the sweeping arc of the canopies will have less than 50% opacity. The design has many open elements throughout to accommodate the passage of air as well as for ease of maintenance of large pieces of equipment. All the sides as well as the top of the structure have openings. The plan for the building is also splayed, to reduce the massive appearance of the structure. Photo courtesy Moore, Ruble & Yudell The elliptical cylinders containing the stacks are poised at an angle, giving these towers an active silhouette against the sky. A computerized lighting system animates the leaning towers, heralding the changes of seasons and events such as Halloween or the Fourth of July by the use of graphics and colors. Information about the environment and MRY's use of energy sources can also be shown on the towers. The curved canopies reflect the distant mountain ranges surrounding the Los Angeles basin, while the rising towers evoke the dynamic imagery of Simon Rodia's famous nearby Watts Towers. Project Credits Owner: Sunlaw Energy Corporation Chairman: Robert N. Danziger President: Michael A. Levin Project Manager: Timothy G. Smith Design Architect: Moore Ruble Yudell Principal-in-charge, Principal Architect: John Ruble Principal Architect: Buzz Yudell Associate-in-Charge/ Project Architect: James Mary O'Connor Project Team: Ross Morishige, Lisa Belian Digital Renderings: Ross Morishige Watercolor Rendering: Al Forster Color and materials: Tina Beebe/ Kaoru Orime Graphic Design: Janet Sager Moore Ruble Yudell arcspace features